Still Life in Decay

Chicago post-punk that hits like a ton of bricks. All muscle and sinew, anxiety and deftly controlled catharsis. Focused jamming, noir atmospherics, distilled abstractions. The rhythms remind me of a bear's movements: lumbering and flowing at the same time. The sort of music that's crushingly intense live, in the best way. This is the band formerly known as Disappears (2009–15). RIYL Fugazi, Unwound, David Bowie's "Low," Protomartyr, Idles, Trupa Trupa, Fontaines D.C. Favorites: 2, 4, 6. No FCCs detected.

1. (4:42)—Mid-tempo, tom-heavy beat. Noise burst to start. Restrained, with dry vocals. Swirling ending.
2. *(5:38)—Medium-fast. Driving bass, head-nodding beat. Long intro. Great gradual build, glitchy drone-noise solo.
3. (4:13)—Mid-tempo, 5/4 beat. More melodic and jazzy, feels like goth Tortoise.
4. *(4:17)—Mid-tempo beat, cool and controlled and unhurried. Dark alleyway music.
5. (8:24)—Medium-slow, with lots of dreamy textures. Holds a groove for the first five minutes. Long droning outro.
6. *(10:49)—Medium-slow, 3/4 then 5/4. Menacing and noisy but patient. Slow build, droning undertow. Gets really heavy at the halfway point, ends with a long looping outro.