Protomartyr : " Hotel Usona"

Artists change, and that is fine. I have seen this evolution coming down the tracks. This band was never the darkest post-punk band, so I am not even reviewing this under the banner of Gothtober; the album just happened to drop in October, and I doubt much of their fan base is goth. The noir-ish vibes and stellar drumming mark the first song, with the vocals musing to themselves toward the back of the mix. "Sounds We Can Not Hear" carries a stormy undercurrent of noisy tension in its throb. You have to give these guys props for coming to a place where they can release both their most experimental album and most accessible at the same time; it has to be applauded. But they are clsoer to the National than Joy Division here.

I am less excited by "Converts". There is some dynamic ebb and flow to it. But not something that grabs me. "Exalted Eagles"  amps up a similar middle ground. They do have a more explosive moment when they feel the need to blurt out some political nonsense. This song feels like it is a long and winding road. It is also the point where I decide that I prefer the brand of post-punk that Crippling Alcoholism deals in more, as it's darker and has more emotional weight. They sound more like grumpy old guys at the bar here. Perhaps that is their target audience. They break up the grump with some droning introspection on "the Knife Dream". There are more sonic colors, but I would not call this dark.

"Feed the Sewer" has a more aggressive crash to it, and is heavier than what they were doing earlier in the album. This might be the best song on the album. The more melodic atmosphere of "Lavender Gospel"  makes it also one of the album's highlights. There is more of a Leonard Cohen pondering on "Third Country". "Checking Out " closes the album. It takes a minute for it to really settle in. It is closer to post-punk, though not limited to nostalgia. Lyrically, it is more stream of consciousness, causing the song to adner a bit. I will give this album a 9, while it might not get as heavy of rotation as the past album, I think I made it clear what elements I think they excelled at and should be celebrated.  

8.5

 

2