Long, slowly moving drones textured with subtle album crackle are the name of the game here. Maybe it's the feet of snow I'm currently surrounded by, but Najas Flexilis Exequiae makes me think of a walk through a snowy, sparse forest on a cold, windy evening. The long, layered drones sweep by like the cold winter wind. Snow kicked up drifts catching the moonlight, adding a soft high to the mix. The added album crackle adds a found album element. Like discovering a lost soundtrack to a creepy, winter time ritual mystery, the enigma grows. Where are we headed? Will we ever get there? What awaits us when we do? The more we listen, the more the film grain starts to show, and the feeling that we will remain in this snowy loop forever takes hold.

Growing, shrinking, rising, falling, but managing to stay consistent, Najas Flexilis Exequiae remains engaging throughout its run time. It's hypnotic and evocative, and it does so very subtly. While each layer on their own is pretty simple, the combination of the layers anything but. Winter and snow definitely suck, but ForrrestDrones' latest definitely doesn't.