See Through You

Continuing the early 2020s hot streak they kicked off with the Hologram EP, A Place to Bury Strangers deliver one of their most interesting and intentional albums in See Through You. As always, loud is what they do better than just about anyone else, but their sixth albums twisted sonics make some of their previous work seem muted. On the wildly galloping noise-gaze-punk of "Hold on Tight," brilliant production and mixing balances the heroic doses of effects at the heart of the bands work in the studio with the raw immediacy of their famed live performances. More than ever, though, the band deploys its volume tactfully; on songs such as "My Head Is Bleeding," taut dynamic shifts and jagged arpeggios make an impact without numbing listeners eardrums. The albums sonics also leave plenty of room to appreciate the bands increasingly eloquent songwriting. A Place to Bury Strangers continue to occupy a singular emotional space within their genre; theyve never shied away from anger or bitterness, and they state those feelings plainly instead of couching them in metaphors. The disgust dripping off Oliver Ackermanns voice when he snarls "Im so bored and tired of you" on "Someones Mouth Again" seems to bleed into his queasy solos, and on "Broken," he adds some cheek to its synth pop-tinged self-loathing when he sighs that hes "oh so depressed." This sense of fun feels fresh and extends to the playful homages elsewhere on See Through You. "Lets See Each Other" is a double, possibly even triple entendre about enjoying someone completely that boasts a chorus with the shout-along power of Love and Rockets "No New Tale to Tell" or even Warrants "Cherry Pie." "Anyone But You" is a pop punk love song, APBTS style, complete with what sounds like a choir of infatuated buzzsaws. The band channels New Orders insistent hi-hats and high-pitched basslines on "Love Reaches Out," which might be Ackermann and companys most empathetic song to date. Moments like this highlight how much hes grown as a singer over the years, as do his vocals on "I Disappear When Youre Near," where the nuances in his deadpan delivery speak volumes. Even though A Place to Bury Strangers have been bringing the noise back to shoegaze and post-punk for years, theyre still finding new forms of expression. That they can create a career peak like See Through You two decades after forming makes them all the more inspiring. ~ Heather Phares