Well known for their distinct brand of sadness-tinged post-hardcore, Los Angeles based band Touché Amoré return with their latest album ‘Spiral In A Straight Line‘. Aiming to explore the unpredictable rollercoaster of emotions that life presents, Spiral In A Straight Line is an album that immediately grips the listener, especially for those who are fans of the band’s previous work, with that gut wrenching sound that manages to be so positively upbeat, all while sounding so deeply melancholy all at the same time.
Opening track ‘Nobody’s‘ sets the scene for the listener quickly, with lead singer Jeremy Bolm‘s poeticism helping to bring to life the helplessness of the situation we all find ourselves in from time to time (As I fixate on the road ahead, it just winds and winds and winds) and (We’re nobody’s business, we’re nobodies now).
(Like a fault line, unpredictable) screams Bolm as ‘Disasters’ begins, a moment that almost feels like circling the drain right before being washed away. The drama is exacerbated by drummer Elliot Babin‘s gently paced drums mismatched often by quick fills, while Tyler Kirby‘s bass solo adds a sense of groove to the otherwise downtrodden track.
This aforementioned fear in the face of life’s twists and turns is embodied further by ‘Hal Ashby’ as Bolm pleads (I’ll try anything, anything, if it’ll course correct me), the track is nothing short than an entire two minutes fifty-five seconds of desperation. Meanwhile, ‘Mezzanine’ electric pacing builds and builds to its climax as it bursts into its raspy chorus, before immediately building once again. The album is laden with incredible moments like this, a sporadicity of feeling that becomes so tangible before being stripped away in the blink of an eye, it’s nothing short of genius.
‘Subversion’ feature solitary vocals from Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr.), who provides an incredibly delivery that is left to resonate and ring out amongst the gentle, glimmering chords it finds itself sharing the track with. That is, all before Bolm’s background yells act as a cue for the rest of the band to kick in. Penultimate track ‘The Glue’ feels like some of the band’s best work to date as exemplary storytellers, truly masters of their craft.
The conclusive ‘Goodbye For Now’ is where all of the album’s themes accumulate, and is an absolute masterstroke by the band. With boygenius member Julien Dacus making her third appearance on a Touché Amoré song, but if it’s not broke, why fix it? Her graceful delivery is goose bump-raising, and blends wonderfully with the abrasiveness of Bolm’s voice.
Grief, unsteadiness, and insecurity are all of some of life’s most universal feelings, something we will all have the displease of experience at least once. But when it comes to taking those feelings and weaving them into song, very few bands are capable of doing it as well as Touché Amoré are able to. This album is both devastating and healing, a sharp twist of the knife, and a warm hug. An absolute must listen for this year, and for years to come.
