Float & Aperture
Float & Aperture takes its time getting to the point, then makes that patience feel useful. Boss Keloid's first album in more than five years gives the musicians room to follow each other's ideas. The result is heavy progressive rock with a restless shape, grounded by warm guitar tones, active bass and Alex Hurst's distinctive voice.
Breeze does not rush to establish a verse and chorus. The opening passage lets the instruments work out their relationship before the vocals arrive, and the song keeps changing as it develops. That approach runs through the album's seven tracks. Five pass the seven-minute mark, but length usually gives the ideas room to grow rather than simply making them bigger.
Pedestal finds a strong vocal hook inside its moving parts, with the bass helping pull the music forward. Landslide is an even clearer example of what Boss Keloid do well. Its central riff changes shape, the weight increases, and the vocal line still gives the listener something to hold onto. Complicated writing does not have to close the door on a memorable song.
Weight moves from a more fragile mood towards a much heavier groove. Accord also makes a strong case for the rhythm section, while Sanguine gives the ending a darker, more direct push. Those differences help the album avoid becoming a single long exercise in musical freedom.
It can still be demanding. Some transitions take longer to settle than others, and the opening stretch is less immediately welcoming than the hooks suggest. A casual listen may leave the record sounding more scattered than it really is.
The reward is a band with a convincing sense of its own possibilities. Float & Aperture lets heaviness, warmth and unusual structures share the same space. Boss Keloid do not make the route obvious, but they give it enough character to make following worthwhile.
