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Crime In Stereo

House & Trance

Written by: PP on 08/01/2024 22:20:30

Woah, a new album by Crime In Stereo? Amazing. It's been thirteen years since they released "I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone", which is one of the most criminally underappreciated post-hardcore albums of the past two decades. Much of that is attributable to its complex layers of depth that require months to peel apart, but the reward is truly massive if you allow it time and space to grow. No wonder it is considered a cult classic today.

That same applies to their reunion album "House & Trance", a beautifully murky and dreamy post-hardcore album that toys extensively with atmospherics and quiet/loud dynamics to achieve a truly remarkable result. Every song is brilliant in its own, unique style, thanks to an unpolished and raw self-production that allows the band to liberally utilize electronics together with their heavy and often grungy guitar distortion. The soundscapes are depth-laden exercises in intricacy and expansive instrumentals that draw from the complexity and emotional charge of bands like Brand New through the soothing, almost progressive vibes of Balance And Composure to the fiery and dreamy expression of Title Fight.

A song like "Superyacht Ecopark" is brilliant. It's an echoing piece with far-reaching instrumentals that feel introspective, yet it is simultaneously brooding and soaring in its chorus work. And what about that almost positively charged chorus in "Rogue Wave"? It's one of the finest tracks you'll hear in the genre this year. Likewise, the melodic waves of "Hypernormalisation" draw you towards Title Fight-esque treble-charged atmospherics, whereas the "We need more guns, we need more caaaameras" howls of "We Can Build You" feel back-chilling. It's a noisy song that toys with a chaotic sonic ambiance while being awesomely simple at the same time.

The murky, distortion-laden "Books Cannot Be Killed By Fire" feels awfully foreshadowing of things to come in the United States. It's almost post-apocalyptic in its political reflection delivered through a classic quiet/loud dynamic that explodes into a loud and abrasive scream-laden heavy section midway through.

Truth be told, there are no weak links here. Every song is brilliant, helped by the uniform nature of their own production, which encompasses the album in anguish and spiraling despair in brilliant style. Part post-hardcore, part punk, and all of it indie-flavored, it is guaranteed to be one of the most unique (and best) records you'll have heard from 2023.

Download: Superyacht Ecopark, Books Cannot Be Killed By Fire, Rogue Wave, We Can Build You, House / Trance
For the fans of: Brand New, As Cities Burn, Balance And Composure, Title Fight, Somerset Thrower, Planes Mistaken For Stars, Have Mercy
Listen: Instagram

Release date 27.10.2023
Pure Noise Records