Here is a project that has improved over the past decade. Each album has been a little more impressive as it has morphed from a noisy cow-punk band to something more focused and serving songs, rather than working on a sound. The opening track is pretty bleak and powerful, making this point clear. Then there is a shift into something more akin to 16 Horsepower for "Heart of Mine." They return to a darker clanging out that holds more in common with noise rock for "You Never Answered."
The title track is darker and minimalist as the urgent plea of the vocals goes out into the empty space until the rest of the band slowly swells to life." Never Rest" carries a heavier stomp with some angular clamour creating a grungy atmosphere. It lurks with the collected chaos that the forerunners of grunge carried, harkening to the genre's punk roots. "Saved" is darker but a little less focused despite the haunting manner it rumbles, feels more likea jam than a song written to hook you in. The first song that feels post-punk is "Patient Night." Then "the Wind," which feels more like a Wovenhand song, works pretty well with it's dark, stormy intensity.
The last song is rather somber; it could be described as a ballad, as it drones off a piano part with more fragile, introspective vocals. It is worth noting that the vocals on this project have continued to improve, and at one point on the first couple of albums were more of a sticking point for me. Now they are really effect and it feels like the missing piece to their sound has fallen solidly in place. Showing something many bands could learn from, which is that vocals are an essential element and not just an obligatory touch, but the vocal point of a good song. They have moved into the right direction, and this album si a testament to that will give it a 9.5 and see how it grows on meI would not call it goth but it is dark enough to appeal to fans of post-punk who work more of the kind of brooding summoned here.Beings released on Season of Mist.
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