Suspended Youth

構成数 : 1枚
合計収録時間 : 00:00:00
By the time Heaters recorded their fifth full-length, the group's members were spread out between their original hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Montreal. The partial relocation has done nothing to slow down the group's development; in fact, they sound more focused than ever. While still exploring a particular area of modern psychedelia, one marked with brisk, motorik rhythms and dazed, echo-bathed vocals, this time their sound shifts closer to jangly '80s post-punk. There's just a touch of an autumnal chill to their music, but they maintain a glowing sense of optimism instead of descending into gloominess. Opening track "Ad Astra" lasts for seven minutes, and once the driving rhythm enters the picture after a floating intro, it never lets up, and the group continues to deliver chiming hooks and insistent drums. The group generally maintain this consistent sound throughout the album. The drums are upbeat and snappy but not overpowering, and the guitars float but aren't just a formless haze. The guitar melodies and vocals are clear enough while still seeming light and detached. Nothing is heavy or rough, yet there's still a forward motion and an unearthly power to it. "Monolith" slows down a bit and has a somewhat funky, bubbly bassline, while the mysterious "Nova Prime" could be ideal music for surfing at night. On the ambitious closing number, "Lunar Creep," they start off with the type of Krautrock glide common to the album before breaking down halfway and changing into an effervescent skipping rhythm. Heaters clearly haven't lost the youthful energy they've had from the start, and Suspended Youth is their most refined effort to date. ~ Paul Simpson