ALBUM REVIEW – ANOTHER NEIGHBOR DISAPPEARED DELIVER A SUBLIME POST-ROCK DREAM.

Posted on by Oran


Hailing from Portland, Oregon, instrumental experimentalists Another Neighbor Disappeared have conjured what can only be described as a sublime post-rock dream, with their new album “How To Stay Conscious While Drowning”.

The North American quartet shifts between the big and bold to the quiet and quaint with this 8-track opus, taking us from hard and heavy to relaxing swing moods of relaxation.

Check out the full album below..

This is an atmospherically adaptable album, with tracks catering to all rock fan tastes. Their latest single ‘Molar’ (the opening track) starts with a funky distorted bassline from bassist Peter Schauer, which joins up with drums from Mark Willey.

Chiming in with dual guitars are Darryl O’Beirne and Julian Smith who tie in nicely with arpeggios and harmonising fills to lay down a carpet of sound to lie down on. ‘Washed’ has a darker undertone, but has a faster pace in comparison. Willey keeps time in an off-beat tempo that slides up and down on the speed scale, where O’Beirne, Schauer and Smith capitalise on the amount of space they have to play with. It’s a blank canvas construed into harmony and is easily the standout track on the record.

This recipe is repeated anew in each track with original and thought-provoking song structure. ‘Not a Dead World’, ‘Breathe’ and ‘This Is Called’ catapult the thought train of the subconscious responsibility to maintain composure (in an otherwise chaotic world), directly into the forefront of contemplative decision-making. I’d love to see a psychedelic music video for that last song – I’d wager it would be quite intense with interesting imagery.

Click’ has that feel of vibrant energy about it; Willey has the relaxed tempo slowed to off-time perfection, whereas ‘Math’ has a funky, feel-good, fun vibe. But ‘Euclid’ has that dark, harder and more sinister atmosphere. It’s different to the other tracks because it has that extra punch that the others lack in terms of aggression and tenacity. It starts deceptively tame, but changes halfway through to a more gruelling sound.

This is definitely a head-filler of an album. The thought-provoking elements of both the timid and ostentatious are enough to keep even the deepest thinker quiet for a half an hour. There is huge depth in this album, and each track is a poignant reminder of freedoms that are not obtainable by your regular Joe; it’s definitely one to have on your shelf for a day where you just want to come home and get lost in thought.

4/5

Track of Choice – ‘Washed’

Molar
Washed
Not a Dead World
Breathe
This Is Called
Click
Math
Euclid

Shaun Martin

www.overdrive.ie 2024