Gangs
Gangs is in a hurry. And So I Watch You from Afar use their second album to send riffs crashing together, change the rhythmic footing and charge into the next turn as a group. It is heavy guitar music with the agility of math rock, but little of the distance that intricate playing can create. Energy matters here at least as much as accuracy.
BEAUTIFULUNIVERSEMASTERCHAMPION sets the tone with group shouts and a riff the band repeatedly return to. That repetition provides a foothold while the surrounding parts keep moving. Gang (starting never stopping) pushes the pace further. The two guitars continually challenge each other, supported by bass and drums that drive everything firmly forward.
Search:Party:Animal makes the aggressive side particularly clear, with abrasive guitars and hard drum hits. In contrast, 7 Billion People all Alive at Once gives the album more space. A gentler opening makes room for the kind of broad shared melody this band handle well. Voices function mainly as another part of that movement, rather than taking command of it.
The two-part Homes sequence is more convincing still. The music opens up, the guitars gain more echo and the band leave room before building again. The returning force consequently feels earned. Lifeproof then gives the ending a different character through its celebratory percussion.
Gangs can be exhausting. So many attacks and quick changes leave too little rest in places for their differences to register fully. This is still much more than an arbitrary display of skill. The collective direction stays clear, and the riffs have individual character. The record is strongest when that tremendous effort also leaves enough room to carry a melody.
