Context – getting fancy

Going to a wedding today, gots to make sure I look better than the groom.  I love getting fancy.

After much hiatus, punk darlings At the Drive-In are back at it. About a year ago I saw them live with a couple of friends to much excitement–so much so that I went out that week and bought an electric guitar so I could get back on that wagon and be as cool as Omar.  He’s so cool.

And finally, finally, we have a new album; the first in 17 years.  That’s a long time to go without anything new, and survey says it will be a miracle if they can capture the magic again.

I’m happy to report that this album sounds a whole lot like At the Drive-In. How they managed to fall back into it after such an extreme break is beyond me, but I’m not about to complain.

Despite it’s being tonally At the Drive-In, I can’t help but struggle to enjoy it. I feel like this is to be expected since every time I buy one of their albums I go through a confusing phase. It’s not that I don’t like it,  it’s more that I don’t know how to process it. There’s a period of repeat listening and contextualizing that I need to go through before I can fully integrate it into my life or tastes.

All in all I’m very happy with this album, and will definitely give it another few listens before I judge it fully. But if you like At the Drive-In, definitely give this a listen. If you don’t know who these guys are I recommend starting with Relationship of Command.