This Will Destroy You have some big shoes to fill – their own. Their last records have been true examples of visceral, verging on primal, post-rock, even if that’s a title they don’t want to give themselves. Another Language, their fourth LP, comes from an extended break, and represents a more unified approach to songwriting.
When you take each track on an individual basis, they’re beautifully crafted and intriguing tracks. Indeed, TWDY eschew the classic post-rock vibe with a more industrial, doomier sound. There’s a very analogue feel to the record, starting with opening track ‘New Topia’. Subtle, almost wistful synths back up an evocative build-up of guitar and drums. A choral-like organ breaks through the fuzz, leaving plenty of space for ‘Dustism’ to follow on blissfully with a range of perfect programming. ‘The Puritan’ has some incredible piano sprinkled throughout. The frantic drums of ‘Invitation’ and the second layer of guitar create an exciting sonic experience – well, as exciting as instrumental rock can get.
But as the record goes on, it all starts to just blend into one. There are plenty of complex aural landscapes throughout, lots of sounds layering up against each other and building an interesting sound, but ultimately, it gets hard to distinguish which track is which. Take them on their own, they each make a statement. Put them together and those distinguishing moments of amazing songwriting get totally lost. In a record like this, it’s vital for everything to flow, but it loses its finesse. It’s not a ‘safe’ record, but it feels like TWDY, so used to pushing boundaries, have written themselves into a safe space – for them, anyway.
Another Language has truly beautiful moments, and it makes a lovely soundtrack to a rainy day, but on the whole, it falls a little flat. TWDY are definitely speaking another language with this LP – it’s just not all that easy to translate back.
3 out of 5 high fives!