I went into this album expecting shoe-gaze and instead got the drive of post-punk with the delicate croon of Julia Gaeta, who carries some power in her pipes that keeps the song grounded. She is joined by Skeletonwitch bassist Evan Linger. The second song "'Chain of Fear" maintains the established momentum. Not sure if this is due to Linger's penchant for faster tempos with Skeletonwittch, though this is far from that kind of trashing, but enough to keep the drummer on their feet, and remind you of the punk side of the post-punk equation.
I think this also helps the band retain their sense of identity, as bands like Temple of Angels and Healthyliving are not far removed from this sonic zip code. "Promised Land" is darker in the vocal delivery, as well as the more rock direction. It finds them slowing down but feels heavier. Her voice works well in the smoky alto she purrs this one out with. The melodies are their hookiest yet. "Bayou Ridge' is less nuanced, and feels like a collision of jangling 90s alt-rock. There is nothing wrong with it, but they raised the bar for them on the previous song, making it hard to match without the fine-tuned hooks.
Though those return to some extent with "Wild Days", The tempo picks up. The vocals drop down to a more sultry alto. The mix for this song is different from the version they released as a single two years ago, as the vocals are not mixed as low. This benefits the song, as the subtle vocal melodies on this one really give it the needed push over the edge into greatness. I will round this album up to a 10, not as goth-leaning as the Temples of Angels album, but a solid piece of forward-thinking classic sounds to guide the melodies.
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