Window in the Rhythm＜White Sand Vinyl＞

Between 2015 and 2018, Fred Thomas released a trilogy of solo albums on Polyvinyl which marked an unmistakable shift towards directly personal, even diaristic lyrics detailing his life experiences as well his frustrations and his continued hope despite it all. The albums varied from rousing folk-punk to abstract electronic pieces, and Thomas expanded on this more experimental direction with a handful of synthesizer-based ambient records and collaborations, as well as jungle-influenced detours under the names All Energy Must Continue Upward and ECO ATM. Still, he returned to indie pop with his group Idle Ray, and explored dream pop and shoegaze as part of the supergroup Winged Wheel. Window in the Rhythm, Thomas first Polyvinyl LP in six years, brings back the hyper-specific lyrical snapshots of his previous albums for the label, while the arrangements are expansive and exploratory yet focused on a specific mood. Many of the tracks patiently unfold at a slowcore-like pace, gradually introducing textural layers and emo-ish guitar melodies as Thomas unloads his wordy narratives. "Embankment" reflects on changing times, reminiscing about living in a duplex with five roommates and including the same Squarepusher song four non-consecutive times on a mixtape. "Coughed Up a Cufflink" takes ten minutes and hundreds of miles of driving to unlock a brutal memory from a past relationship and finally be able to interpret what it actually meant. "Season of Carelessness" begins by describing awkward scenes from youth which seem brilliant in retrospect, then escalates from delicate guitar plucking to suspenseful synths and lurching, almost dubstep-like beats. The crawling tempo of "Hours" matches the lyrics about being weighed down by ones memories and ego, building up to a surf-gaze crunch before calming down and reaching a brief moment of grace. "Wasnt" takes up all of the double LPs final side, and it features a driving tempo and lyrics that make reference to Thomas previous Polyvinyl album and one of his early bands. After hes done delivering his lengthy verse about places that only exist as memories now and his behavior during a time when he was a different person, the song breaks away from its steady rhythm and falls into ecstatic guitar fuzz, tumbling drums, and eventually a cloud of spiralling harp. By the end, it feels like Thomas is reaching deep into his mind, retrieving key memories from throughout his life, reflecting on how things have changed, and ultimately letting it all blur together and wash away. ~ Paul Simpson