Dissolution Wave
Dissolution Wave gives Cloakroom's large guitar sound a more compact and varied set of songs. The heavy tones remain, but the arrangements are less willing to let a single mood carry everything. Doyle Martin's singing often has a clearer presence, and the changing rhythms help the melodies move. The result feels easier to enter without losing the band's distinctive weight.
Lost Meaning establishes that approach quickly. A brief drum and guitar entrance leads straight into the song, with distorted bass and a broad melodic setting giving the music its scale. It is a strong introduction to the balance the album is trying to find.
A Force At Play offers a lighter, more direct route. Its compact pop shape makes the vocal melody easy to follow, while a bending guitar solo gives the arrangement another point of interest. The song still belongs inside the band's sound.
Fear of Being Fixed returns to a heavier setting, but acoustic guitar adds an unexpected colour within that weight. The softer voice gives the music another contrast without removing its force. Cloakroom are effective here because the additional texture helps change the arrangement, rather than simply making it thicker.
Doubts takes the quieter influence further. Beneath the effects is a gentle, country-like song, with drifting keyboard sounds giving it a less familiar surface. It is one of the album's strongest changes of mood. The later stretch, including Lambspring and Dissembler, also feels more consistently engaging than some of the earlier material.
That unevenness keeps the record from feeling completely resolved. A few passages create an attractive atmosphere without leaving an equally strong hook, and the voice still disappears into the surrounding sound at times. The clearer structure does not make every song immediate. Some of the smaller details only become important once the larger guitar tones stop dominating attention.
Even so, Dissolution Wave makes a convincing case for a more focused Cloakroom. Its strongest songs use warmth, distortion and melodic space with a clear purpose.
