What went from Evan Patterson's solo project to explore sounds outside of what he did in Young Widows, has now become a full-fledged band. The overall sound of this album is more experimental, and Patterson's vocal delivery is more soulful and assured than what he did in Young Widow. The opening track is minimalist in how it lingers on the verses. There are some interesting drum sounds and the overall mix leans into the ambiance, by giving all the instrumentation a great deal of open space, even when things begin to come together dynamically. If Josh Homme wrote songs for Queens of the Stoneage with no radio aspirations the result might be similar.
Things simmer with the dusky blues, not unlike the back alleys Nick Cave once took you down on "Doctor Green". The slinky drone of the song accompanies Pattereson's hushed baritone here. "Fear is Here" broods over a darker mood that still does not find the band conforming to the standard rock format, though not sure it should be called post-rock either, as it's more like the soundtrack to the smokey after-hours bar rather than cinematic splendor. " A Blackout" feels more like an attempt to rock out, though it is more restrained, where rock music beats the chords with reckless abandon. The chorus kicks in more than the previous songs. Sections, where fuzzed-out overdrive is used, are mixed in a raw Sonic Youth-like fashion. They commit more to rocking out on this song than they have yet to do on this album.
There is a doomier blues swagger to "Bloody Me". It's not the album's strongest song, but it works for what it is. Then they go back into more Nick Cave mood, it's one of the shades this color alternates coloring itself with. This time around it's darker than how it's previously been used, almost like Leonard Cohen's 90s output. He covers the Beatles "HELP!", but slows things down into a smoky creep. It brings a more depressive slant to the old pop hit. This pace does drag the song out, but it's entertaining. The "Bloody Me" solo version sounds more like a Swans demo. I will give this album a 9, for it's vision and artistic direction, not an album that rocks out but an album that lurks within.
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