Periphery - Periphery III: Select Difficulty

Periphery has slowly been becoming the boy band of the djent scene. Rising like a phoenix, Periphery brought the virtual reality of djent and brought it success in the realm of metal, giving it a true messenger. Their fifth record Periphery III: Select Difficulty, however, doesn't pigeonhole them into the small space that djent is commonly labeled with (those clichéd open and first fret notes, as part of the meme). It's one of the band's most diverse records, following the same elements they experimented with in the past, as well as adding new ones in.

My favorite part of this record is that it feels like the natural progression for the band. Their last releases were a double-album, Juggernaut: Alpha and Juggernaut: Omega. The albums' songs needed the context of the story of the concept of the record to really balance them out - I didn't fully enjoy Omega because of this. The songs didn't really work too great outside the context of the album. Alpha was a much more enjoyable listen, however, because while it did also have the context of a conceptualization backing it, the album made great use of melody. The melodies on that album soared and really made the songs feel a lot more powerful. Select Difficulty brought that a step further, which is exactly what I wanted.

Melody is huge on this record. Vocalist Spencer Soleto has some truly defining moments on this record. The note he hits at the end of 'Catch Fire' is one of the most epic moments on the album. The way he belts out certain notes adds a whole other level of energy to the track. His singing style also has a certain swagger to it - it almost feels like the same pop fusions style Issues is known for. The back-half is a lot more melody-centric, and just generally less heavy in the grand scheme of things. The songs all have a softer and more alternative rock/metal sound to them. This only stays true for about every other track after the halfway mark, though. The vocals don't start making a mark on the album until the second track 'Motormouth', but they're not the focus until about 'Flatline' - the first track that feels like melody has importance and is not a backing to the thrashing instrumentals. The latter of the two songs has a massive ending to go with it, too.

Misha Mansoor is essentially the being of Periphery. His guitar work is what brought them into the spotlight, after all. Every track feels like a guitar feat - there's not one that doesn't have guitar anything less than epic. Whether it's the trashing, low-tuned pounding notes of 'Motormouth' or the sweet licks in 'The Way The News Goes...', there's always something going on. The album is full of massive instrumental movements and moments. The epic screams in the bridge of 'Marigold' are backed by a masterful metal instrumental complete with an orchestral intro and complex guitar riffs. There are layers upon layers of guitar goodness in 'Prayer Position', all of which build to an absolutely mindbending ending.

The softer moments on the record cannot be ignored, too. Massive orchestras can be easily missed if you're not careful, and they add a lot of dimension to the music. Closing track 'Lune' is half orchestral, half jamming, with beautiful symphonic pieces found interspersed within the track making it a very climactic closure to the record. 'Marigold' ends on an ambient piece for two minutes that adds a sense of aftermath to the track. The piano outro following 'The Way The News Goes...' is also a great touch.

Sadly, an album given so much acclaim does have some negatives. There are songs on this record that feels unfinished. The chorus instrumentals of 'The Way The News Goes...' are a mess, though the rest of the song leaves little to complain about. 'Habitual Line-Stepper' is another song that has great parts but feels very incohesive. And paired with their boy band position in the metal world, their lyrics sometimes don't support them. There are a lot of very cringey lyrics on the record, but one that immediately stood out that had me check the lyrics to make sure I had heard correctly are in 'Marigold': "Suck on the mother's dead tit" is a true feat of a lyric. And let's not get started on the title of 'The Price Is Wrong'...

Select Difficulty was the natural progression for Periphery. Sometimes band go in a direction that didn't fit what they were ready for, or they moved on too quickly from something they were just beginning to get a grasp of. Periphery is taking their time, and is hitting all the right stops along the way. Select Difficulty isn't a perfect album, but it's definitely up there with some of the band's best works. Lots of big moments make this album the Alpha (my personal favorite record from the band) with more riffs. There's room to grow, but the storm that is Periphery isn't going to be slowing down any time soon.

Favorite Tracks: Marigold, Catch Fire, Lune, Flatline

Least Favorite Tracks: Motormouth, Habitual Line-Stepper

Rating: 78 / 100

Clams Casino - 32 Levels

Producer Clams Casino, known for tackling music with a bunch of big names such as FKA twigs and A$AP Rocky, has released his debut LP 32 Levels. The record features a wide array of artists from several genres, and combines elements of both hip-hop and electronica into one collection of songs.

There's two clear halves to this record. The first half is a very hip-hop centric collection of songs, while the second half takes a poppier route. Clams Casino produces beats and instrumentals for the tracks - and those are always spot on. The problem, however, lies with the features.

The first half of the record is very much hit-or-miss. Instrumentals are never the problem. There are some okay tracks like 'Be Somebody' featuring A$AP Rocky and Lil B, with a great instrumental but lyrics that just feel like one big name drop (with no real point of doing so) and 'All Nite' with Vince Staples which has a strong message but a horrible delivery. Then there's songs that have absolutely nothing interesting going for them - 'Witness' is just plain trash, while the next two tracks are just completely forgettable. The hip-hop half falls into the trap of becoming way too self-obsessed and sits itself on a high horse, perhaps the fault of the features. The lack of variation and climax makes it come and go, as if it never happened.

The poppier half has a more agreeable composure. Lots of strong voices bring a more refreshing palette to the album, a good contrast from the monotonous hip-hop side. Mikky Ekko sounds huge on 'Into The Fire', finally giving the album some feeling of exposition nearly three-fourths of the way into it. The same goes for 'Back To You' with Kelly Zutrau, the only song on the record that has some excitement to it with the build in its second chorus. Kelela features on 'A Breath Away', the song featuring Indian percussion that really adds a nice color to the record. Sadly, the second half has more going against it than it does for it (though, it has more to brag about that the earlier part of the album). Same Dew's track 'Thanks To You' starts promising but gets really repetitive with its slowly punching in-and-out synth instrumental, the slow and glitchy track not going anywhere for its three minute run, making the entire track blur together. 'Ghost In A Kiss' is some odd ASMR fusion with hip-hop, and it just doesn't go down well under any circumstance. The last track lacks any finality to the album, leaving it on a down note, as is the case with much of this record. There's no climax found anywhere in any track. Light choruses and slow verses rule this record, and there's nothing within them to show for.

Clams Casino produced some fantastic instrumentals, but failed to bring those anywhere of worth. This album fails to have a big defining moment and feels like background noise for much of it. A single track on this record has any sense of excitement in it. If you're looking for something to put on the background as to not pay attention to it, this is the one, because nothing will go on during it. Perhaps he should stick to getting his production credits.

Favorite Track: Back To You

Least Favorite Tracks: Blast, Witness, Ghost In A Kiss

Rating: 56 / 100

Bright Light Bright Light - Choreography

The 80s was an... interesting time. Lots of those who lived through it will remember it for its energetic music. Bright Light Bright Light channels that 80s flair in his new record, Choreography. His third LP shows him mastering his synthpop sound, embodying everything people loved from the 80s.

Choreography will get you dancing. It's a very big record in terms of vibes. Right at the start with 'All In The Name' we have big celebration vibes complete with a soulful choir. The album's grooviness doesn't falter at all throughout it's length. Some songs like the massive 'Kiss For Kiss' featuring Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters has a very lovey flow to it, the infectious track feeling modern all the while combining elements of its time period. The song builds over time, elements appearing and going throughout, keeping the song fresh. The chorus has a very distorted synth that almost feels like metal rhythm guitar that builds up so much great tension, making the song sound huge.

If anything, this album feels a little too 80s. It all gets repetitive - the first song itself struggles with feeling overdone. Tracks like 'I Only Want To Please You' with Ana Matronic (also of Scissor Sisters) feels like it came straight from an 80s track, no sense of innovation or anything besides production feels fresh about this track. The album becomes very standard to listen to in the second half - it becomes forgettable. That's where it's fault lies, it doesn't try to be anything interesting for most of its playtime and tries to appeal to a single type of listener. Elton John features on three tracks, but his contributions, shockingly, don't really add anything to the music.

Choreography will give an 80s child a taste of what they grew up listening to, but to an outsider it won't be much of an enjoyable listen. It's a big dancey record and a lot of the tracks do well as standalone songs, but as a consecutive listening experience, just doesn't amount to a thoroughly enjoyable listen. Bright Light Bright Light is on the verge of something, but he's not quite there yet.

Favorite Track: Kiss For Kiss

Least Favorite Track: I Only Want To Please You

Rating: 67 / 100

Emily Jane White - They Moved In Shadow All Together

Darkness always holds some sort of meaning, regardless of what light is shined upon it (or lack thereof, rather). Emily Jane White uses her distinct brand of dreamy, dark folk in her new album They Moved In Shadow All Together to take you on a revealing journey of your inner self. It's a truly cleansing experience to listen to this record.

This album isn't dark folk in the reign of Chelsea Wolfe; this album does not condemn humanity or sound like darkness is swallowing you. It feels more like your running into a pale horizon as the darkness slowly trails behind you, taking memories and dreams with you. It's beautifully put together, beautiful harmonies and slowly trudging instrumentals making the music resonate through your core. The albums also flow gently like a calm sea, 'Pallid Eyes' especially feels like it has a calm sway to it. 'Antechamber' has it's own type of presence, its soaring harmonies contrasting the dark instrumental that has a odd optimism in it. The instrumental moves like a ballet dancer, weaving gracefully in and out and stunning jumps and dives. This album, while slow moving and dark, has a lot of character embedded within it.

Have I mentioned this album is beautiful yet? There are so manny blissful instrumental moments on it that add so much taste to it! The piano performances on the album are fantastic: moments include 'Rupturing' which has a gorgeous ascending piano part that is accompanied by strings to build back in (it reprises itself as a sort of pre-chorus), 'The Black Dove' with a sweet piano intro that leads into a mysteriously and grandly swelling into a truly epic folk song led by confident percussion. The drums on this album are absolutely fantastic, too. Whether it be the slow guiding beat to 'Frozen Garden' or the epic crashes of 'Hands', the percussion on this album was executed incredibly, done with master precision. The instrumentals can also swallow you whole, in the case of the amazingly beautiful cavern that is 'Nightmares On Repeat'.

The lyrics and vocal melodies on this album may the best part of the record. The harmonies are spine tingling and the words chilling. There's not a single lyrical moment to be highlighted, as the entire album is written incredibly. Every word and every line feels so perfectly in place in the scheme of the story this album has that it's almost like you can reach out and hold them. The melodies add movement to this wonderful story, take the haunting melodies of 'Moulding' for example. Absolutely crushing and beautiful.

There's something starkly beautiful in the simplicity of They Moved In Shadow All Together. It hits so close to the heart and feels so real and personal... It sounds like the lovechild of Aurora's music and Chelsea Wolfe's (two artists I can't get enough of), fitting right in between the beauty of both artists' styles. Emily Jane White's new record is a folk masterpiece, as far as I'm concerned. Listen to it. It'll change you.

Favorite Tracks: The Black Dove, Nightmares On Repeat, Hands, Antechamber

Least Favorite Track: The Ledge

Rating: 89 / 100

Top 10 Albums Of 2016 (so far):

1. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
2. AURORA - All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend
3. Panic! At The Disco - Death Of A Bachelor
4. Deftones - Gore
5. Dream Theater - The Astonishing
6. Foxes - All I Need
7. Daughter - Not To Disappear
8. Gojira - Magma
9. Thrice - To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere
10. Emily Jane White - They Moved In Shadow All Together

Chevelle - The North Corridor

When taking on a Chevelle record, you better know you're heading into the territory of nothing but jams. Their eight record The North Corridor is full of those big riffs, but does find its ways to make it sound repetitive, much like some criticisms of their previous albums have claimed. There hasn't been any curve in sound, if that's what you're looking for.

This album has a very safe alternative metal sound to it. The riffs are big and in your face, if not repetitive, and the spidery vocals and big choruses make up each track. Opening track 'Door To Door Cannibals' starts off with promise, but ends up just being boring, and by the final chorus has you waiting for the end to come. The Tool-esque melodies (the song's vocals has be thinking of 'Ticks & Leeches') give this track some endearing qualities to metal fans, and the big alt. metal chorus is also a treat. If you want a great chorus though, 'Enemies' is your song: its chorus is absolutely massive, though the verses are a bit stale.

The problem with this record is that yes, the riffs are big and metal, but they all kind of sound the same. 'Joyride (Omen)' has that big, upfront metal sound with the distorted bass but just fails to do anything else with its sound besides sound really standard. This album feels like it's full of attempts at something interesting, but none of these attempts got anywhere. 'Punchline' is full of references to jokes, which is lyrically amusing, but has no real place in the album. There's a lot of lyrics that just seem off in the record; 'Young Wicked' comes to mind - it feels almost like it was going for an 'Another Brick In The Wall' vibe - but in oddity it makes up for an engaging instrumental and progression. 'Shot From A Cannon' clocks in at a huge 8 minutes, but there's really no purpose for it to be that long. It's length can be thanked for a long, stale instrumental jam section complete with an uninteresting lead guitar and all. A very incompetent ending to an album that feels much the same. 'Rivers' also has that big instrumental ending, but in grandness it lacks substance to make it actually good.

Chevelle brought jams, sure. These jams get stale after hearing them consecutively on the album, sadly. There's little engagement on The North Corridor. Fans who were disappointed by their last effort La Gargola won't be impressed much by this release, either. It's stale and uninspired. Not much else to it.

Favorite Tracks: Enemies, Young Wicked

Least Favorite Tracks: Shot From A Cannon, Punchline

Rating: 56 / 100

Message To Bears - Carved From Tides

A good ambient album will take you places. Some albums will take you to some place fantastic and mystical, while others can take you on a late night stroll through the forest or a late night through the city. Message To Bears' fifth record Carved From Tides is like a snow-ladden travel through the unknown. You don't know where you're headed, but it's certainly chilly and full of wonder.

This album has tracks that are simply beautiful. 'Spin-Float' features sweet, rich acoustic guitars on top of atmospheric synths that fill the track with a warm glow, and guest Gemma Alexander sings enchantingly over it. 'Breathe' is another beautiful track, shining with the same kind of dreamy piano vibe as Radiohead's 'Daydreaming'. What this track differs with, though is the beat that churns with the ever growing track. It builds in an almost epic way, as the instrumental becomes ever-more encompassing with its crystalline piano and sampled vocals. 'They Ran' is much the same, in a different way, though. The track features effected piano rather than the purer format, and focusses more primarily on growing ethereal vocal samples to make up its atmospheric vibe.

This album almost tells a story. The music flows like poetry without words. From the beginning you get the feeling of walking somewhere just before dawn with snow falling gently from the sky - the synths shimmering with the same glow and the snowflakes. You get the vibes of walking through a snowy forest in 'Blossom', while at the end with 'Hold On', rather than being a giant climax of a blizzard swallowing up the sky (surely that's not what you expected, though), you can feel the snow slowly trickle off into a gentle flurry as the first streaks of light breaks through the grey clouds. It's a very warm feeling you get at the end of this record; that's not to say that the album is otherwise cold and unwelcoming - well, it will give you chills, - but it feels like your experiencing a faraway familiar emotion. 'When You're Gone' seems to personify that emotion, speaking of ghosts in a distant way, as if it haunted the narrator until this sort of revelation. It's hopeful. It's interesting - you can't quite put a finger on exactly what the emotion is, perhaps nostalgia or one of its offspring, but it certainly feels lifting.

Message To Bears creating an ambient masterpiece. A lot of the tracks do work better in context of the album's consecutive poetry rather than standalone items, but as one start-to-finish piece, it's a fantastic listen. It gets slow at parts - which is what adds to the standalone argument - but it can be forgiven for that at its emotional climaxes. It's like a fine diamond that's not quite so perfect. It's cracked with the stories of a lifetime, that story being told through the music of Carved From Tides. Ambient album of the year goes to this one.

Favorite Tracks: Breathe, Hold On, Blossom, When You're Gone

Least Favorite Track: I'll Lead You There

Rating: 84 / 100

Biffy Clyro - Ellipsis

Scotland's key rockers Biffy Clyro are back and bigger than ever in their new album, Ellipsis. After extensively touring for their last release (2013's Opposites), the band took a break for awhile before getting their blood flowing again. And here they are, back and in full force. Ellipsis brings all the jams - Biffy has never been in better shape.

One thing you need to know for any Biffy Clyro record: the riffs will have you off your feet. This album even goes relatively easy on the riffs for Biffy standards, but they do exist and they do make their presence well known. The riffs kick off immediately with opener 'Wolves Of Winter', the dark intro building into the thick riffs. Vocalist Simon Neil's vocals blend brilliantly with the driving guitars, especially in the second half of the second verse - that's some great stuff. Heavy yet melodic is always an awesome combo. The song's solo is also electrifyingly awesome, too. 'On A Bang' is led by the rolling distorted guitar powerchords, Neil's vocals chanting proudly and powerful in conjunction with the heaviness. The album's closer 'In The Name Of The Wee Man' is also packed with fast punches of energy in the riffs, while still finding quiet moments, including the brilliantly composed bridge, deceivingly quiet while building urgency into a massive ending to a massive record. Other jams include 'Flammable', a song with loads of groove and is extremely infectious. This song will get you moving in your seat just listening to it, the great alt. rock chorus keeping you at it's beckoning.

This album also sees a lot of a softer side of Biffy Clyro. When the riffs aren't pounding into your ears, there's a lot of poppier, lighter rock tunes going on, some songs even abandoning guitar as a focus in favor of something else. The poppier sound can be easily heard in 'Friends and Enemies', which has very uplifting vibe and definitely segues from the former opener track in a good way - it has that good balance of heaviness and poppiness to it that makes it a success. 'Animal Style' falls in the same category, though it has more of a stoner rock vibe instead. The chorus is big but focuses more on the vocals than the big guitars. 'Don't, Won't, Cheat' utilizes gang vocals in a great way, keeping their harmonies interesting while not detracting attention from the lead. The guitar in this one is also very interesting - it sounds complex, while still feeling generally simple. Then the album gets into 'Re-arrange', which is very sweet and quiet. It has a very gentle, almost lullaby-esque melody going with it that flows like a sweet breeze. It feels genuinely happy, and that's always welcome in any song. The quietest song on the record is the beautiful 'Herex', an acoustic track blending full acoustic guitars with angelic orchestras; an amazing song full of emotion. In an album the begins and ends huge, it's nice to find gentle gems like this at its core.

The poppy sound does feel a bit beaten to death by the end of the record, though. By the end of the record, the last of the pop-rock run with the song 'People', it just feels repetitive. When you hit 'Howl', it's almost like you've already heard the same song before - and done in a more engaging respect earlier on in the record. There's also the failed experiment with 'Small Wishes', that almost feels like a country song (that's probably where it fails with me, at least). It just feels so odd and out of place amidst a record otherwise filled with jams and ballads that it almost alienates the vibe the album had going on leading up to it.

Biffy Clyro never fails to impress. Ellipsis is a jam filled record, from the beginning to the very end it brings raw energy in the form of riffs, with moments of gentle emotion in between. Biffy has always been great at balancing jams and connective moments. Ellipsis is no exception. It's a standout in their already amazing discography. This band is back, and bigger than ever. Mon the biff!

Favorite Tracks: Wolves Of Winter, Flammable, In The Name Of The Wee Man

Least Favorite Track: Small Wishes

Rating: 87 / 100

The Avalanches - Wildflower

Nearly 16 years off of its debut release, The Avalanches have finally returned in a big way with this year's plunderphonics epic Wildflower. Be prepare for a long and sweet nostalgic trip with sonic accompaniment by your side.

It's hard to put a finger on it, but each track has a distinct touch of dreamy nostalgia to it. Perhaps it's the scenes in between tracks that simulate beachside chilling or lazy afternoons watching TV, or the somewhat lo-fi feel in each track, but something just feels familiar in each song, from every angle. 'Live A Lifetime Love' has a lot of traffic sounds and active noise in the background that feels just like a commute to work or a drive through the town. There's also the sweetness of 'If I Was A Folkstar', that feels like it goes through the whole spectrum of emotions without being specific to any regard. 'Sunshine' brings you back to that feeling of falling in love for the first time, all the joy and serenity paired with it. It's almost like the album tells the story of life and all its beauties.

A lot of this album, when not stirring up your emotions, is just pure fun. Right from the beginning we have 'Because I'm Me', sounding high and proud with grand strings leading you into the golden city party the album offers. 'Frankie Sinatra' offers an old-fashioned carnival vibe backing hip-hop verses. There's a really playful tone in this one, making it a really fun and vivid listen. Other songs that have this fun embodiment include the absolutely ridiculous (one of those so bad it's good songs) 'The Noisy Eater' and the sweet 'Harmony'.

One thing you have to be weary about with this album, though, is that if you don't get it, it won't do much for you. Listening through it, you can kind of get the feel of the tracks and the emotion packed in with them, but there is a certain alienation you feel if you don't connect with it. It almost feels like a generational thing, a lot of the samples are maneuvered to have a more lo-fi vibe, or just a more relevant vibe to an older time. It will even get a bit boring if it doesn't key in with the listener. That's what set this album off for me - it was enjoyable, but it never really clicked.

The Avalanches didn't disappoint with the 16 year wait since their debut. Wildflower seems to have been well worth its wait time. However, if you weren't there for Since I Left You, the charm of the album may be lost. It's enjoyable even without having listened to its predecessor, but it feels like there's something I'm missing. Perhaps it'll click at another time. For now, I can take this album for a nice chill day with a cold drink. Here's hoping the next album isn't two decades away.

Favorite Tracks: Frankie Sinatra, Harmony

Least Favorite Tracks: The Leaves Were Falling, Subways

Rating: 73 /  100

araabMUZIK - Dream World

Elements of trap, hip-hop, and electronica all come together on araabMUZIK's third effort, Dream World, but perhaps not to the greatest of results. The album takes the trashiest parts of all of its elements and combines it into one, flat, sloppy compilation of boring tracks.

For some, just the use of the word "trap" can be enough to deter their attention. This album doesn't do that any favors. Most notably at the core of the tracklist are tracks clearly intended to instigate a late night club and rave vibe, some doing better than others. This theme is first seen in 'A.M.', which tries to be the hype up song any rave needs but just fails in context of the album, given that it's sandwiched between some relatively chiller tracks. This track and the track that does what 'A.M.' wishes it could do better 'Stadium House' are found between the lame, minimal hip-hop beat track 'Try Me' and the slow and chill (admittedly refreshing) 'Mind Trip'. 'Try Me' falls in line with many other dull tracks including 'Loud' (literally featuring someone named Loud Lord) and 'Train Wreck', the latter of which clearly warns you of its quality in the title.

Lots of this album is just plain standard; even lower than that, at points. Songs like the raving 'Senor Breakfast' with Baauer could've been a solid track had it had some form of progression going on - it's mostly just one synth hook on repeat for three minutes without any real elaboration on anything. 'Left Side' had a lot of potential with the sweet piano and bass duo it has going on, but there's no action found within it. A simple piano lick or drop could've easily elevated the track to something more than two loops repeating for three and a half minutes. That's where all the problems lie with this record - araab thought he had something going with the hook for each song, but relying on a single hook in each song and repeating it in every measure of it was not the way of making the songs click. The only song I can say I legitimately enjoyed was 'Chasing Pirates', and that's all thanks to the creaminess of Raiche's melody and voice throughout the song.

araabMUZIC doesn't really seem to understand the concept of a good hook. You get one rolling and repeat it at pivotal moments of the song: a chorus, a repeat, a coda, et al. What you don't do is repeat in every single bar of every single measure of the track. That's where Dream World fails. You're better off skipping this one, unless you need some crappy background music for a party.

Favorite Track: Chasing Pirates

Least Favorite Tracks: Train Wreck, War Cry, A.M.

Rating: 30 / 100

Bat For Lashes - The Bride

Splashing in puddles on a rainy day. Sitting peacefully under a shady tree in a peaceful meadow with somber clouds covering the sky. A late night ending with the gentle light of 5A.M. filing your room, you alone with your thoughts. That's what this album feels like. Bat For Lashes' fourth studio effort The Bride is a moody album, mellow and melancholy in all its devices, but comes out to be more of a background listener than a vivid experience.

If there's one thing this album has, it's atmosphere. All the synths and guitars resonate for ages allowing for cavernous textures to backup Bat For Lashes' silky voice. Song like 'In God's Hands' have sparkly and bright synths that add color to the track behind standard drumming and pianos, while other tracks like 'Joe's Dream' rely on the echoes of the subtle elements of the song to build up a big space. Some songs, namely the brilliant 'Close Encounters' and the bonus 'Clouds' feature orchestras, the latter closing the album with a gentle orchestra while 'Close Encounters' features a darker and more moody string section. Dark guitars give 'Never Forgive The Angels' an extra punch, with creepy harmonies and delicate pianos building their way into the song's dark composition.

While this album does have its place, it isn't exactly eventful. It's pretty much the musical representation of the color grey. There's no splashes of yellow or red in there (maybe some blue and greens). It's just one, continuous, slow moving storm of sad. It's almost gothic in it's own way, the vocals really taking a poetic melody in songs like 'Honeymooning Alone' and 'Close Encounters'. The weird ASMR 'Widow's Peak' even plays to this. This is what makes this album a background listen - there's nothing to keep your attention; no bursts of energy, no tense parts, just sadness.

Bat For Lashes has a new moody soundtrack to their discography. It's moody and sad, which is evidently what it was going for. It just lacks excitement or any hooks to grab at the listener to make it memorable. There are some really beautiful tracks on the record, but no really exciting ones. It's a storytelling record, in perhaps the most somber way possible.

Favorite Tracks: Close Encounters, Never Forgive The Angels, Joe's Dream

Least Favorite Track: Land's End

Rating: 73 / 100