May 2023: Of Genres, Tropes and Math
Welcome!
This newsletter is not a cold, dead place
Welcome to Post-, a series of writings on the latest in heavier, math-ier, and, uh, sometimes instrumental-ier music from my perspective. Realising that 1) Twitter is an ongoing hellscape 2) Most of my interesting posts were on music 3) I wanted to take on a longer-form writing project, a Substack seemed the obvious choice.
What to expect? I’m still fleshing out the details of what I want to do here, but I’m hoping to commit to monthly magazine-style posts, including reviews of new albums and live shows, broader critical thoughts on a range of genres and current music stories, and recommendations to check out. I’ll attempt to put together a playlist each month with both new music worth your time, and older tracks that I’m either discovering myself or are stuck in my head for some reason. If any of this interests you, please subscribe - I will never be charging for newsletter subscriptions.
Which brings us to the title… It’s tough to succinctly sum up a set of multi-genre interests into something sensible. We can list a bunch of genres (shoegaze, metal, prog) that refer to a bunch of bands (My Bloody Valentine, Judas Priest, King Crimson) and their sound-alikes. Of course, the soundalikes are distinct in some way or another sonically or aesthetically, and so we then need to expand the taxonomy with modifiers like blackgaze (Deafheaven), metalcore (Architects), prog-metal (Dream Theater). The more general labels then get cultural overloads and reinterpretation (good luck agreeing what is and isn’t emo, or even indie), and even then don’t necessarily summarise to one all-encompassing theme.
A limited but fun alternative is to rely on tropes to define the qualities of music we like. In the case of stuff I’ll write about here, these could be quite general - virtuosic intricacy, maximalism, highly polished production, emotional resonance - or they could be ridiculously specific:
Jarring minor 4th chords to close out a chorus
A midrange boosted guitar riff “preview” before the true riff drops
Playing high-pitched harmonised guitar notes really, really fast and with lots of reverb
It’s a rock song but you’re playing bossa nova on the drums
Which are fun but 1) aren’t really snappy enough to title a newsletter and 2) imply a formulism or arithmetic to making music.
And so; Post-, a nice shorthand for a bunch of stupidly named genres within my wheelhouse - post-rock, post-metal, post-hardcore. Usually applied to indicate a more cerebral slant on their classical definitions. All of these, much like their literary equivalent of post-modernism, have to some extent descended into self-referential tropes or formulae of their original definitions; as experimental trailblazers give way to imitators of their most recognisable components, distilling that original creativity that prompted listeners at the time to declare a new kind of music on the horizon into more concentrated replications of the pieces that resonated most with them.
This is a slightly unfair representation of the term, particularly at the vanguard of creative work from the likes of black midi, or Jo Quail, or The Callous Daoboys. There are still true boundary pushers working within or without these labels, and they deserve their critical adulation. But I also want to celebrate the imitators, the masters of the tropes, those that can be so easily dismissed as copycats of genre. Those that take the core tenets of a sound originally defined and oft-lazily reduced to an album or two by a seminal band, but who seriously grok what made that work, how it was great, and how to apply it with quality and style with a new twist or take - an unexpected instrument, a simple fusion with another genre, the application of new social context and worldviews. 14 year old me obviously loved the pop-punk of Green Day and blink-182, but it was the harder political edges of Rise Against and the earnestness and that violin of Yellowcard that made me a fan of that sound, and receptive to the great work and unique twists of today’s descendants such as Nervus, Origami Angel and Pool Kids.
New and exciting creativity in genre comes not in spite of the vast expanses of imitators, but because of it. Well, that’s the thesis. That and fiddly guitar parts and reverb.
From the Pit: Pool Kids
Sebright Arms, London, 8th May 2023
Floridians Pool Kids, on their first visit to the UK, have hit with a bang, selling out most nights of a small headlining run following a supporting role on La Dispute’s European tour.
This is no great surprise given the band’s impressive self-titled second album, released late last year. A forceful album of break-up songs, replete with sing-along choruses, devastating lyrics, and angular math tapping amidst its driving punk sensibility - and one which loses none of its impressive heft or quality live.
Their set takes in the boldest and loudest moments from that album - opening with the ambitious Swallow, which runs the gamut from 7/8 riffs to explosive dynamics and a scream-along outro (and the whole crowd do indeed scream along). Choice cuts from their first album, Music to Practice Safe Sex To, emphasise the more technical elements the band is capable of, but things really kick off with the crashing, anthemic Arm’s Length, at which point the moshpit and crowdsurfing are basically non-stop till the end. There’s no space for the weirder and art-rock cuts that gave variety to their brilliant sophomore album, but they know what they’re doing focusing on the heavy hitters.
The reception they’ve received here, whilst clearly well-deserved, takes the band back slightly; it must be an incredible thing to travel halfway round the world and headline your own show (frontwoman and songwriter Christine Goodwyne shares that they’re far more used to supporting slots) and have the whole sold-out crowd know every single word and song dynamic for the mosh pit. They respond with a silly but entertaining pub sing-along cover of Truly, Madly, Deeply and a promise to visit again; certainly not to be missed when they do.
Opening act Suds from Norwich also impress - a four-piece with high-paced drumming set against laid-back gaze-y guitars and sweet vocal lines. There’s some lovely moments of songcraft here, particularly when the rest of the band pitch in with a variety of backing vocal styles. A delightfully warm reception from the crowd and from their tour mates, who gatecrash the confident inter-song banter with birthday celebrations and cake for the drummer.
Live footage - Conscious Uncoupling
On Rotation: Lakes - Elysian Skies
Released April 28th, 2023 on Big Scary Monsters
I’ve managed to miss seeing Lakes live several times due to clashes and other poorly justified reasons, particularly given how great their take on jangly Midwest emo (or I guess Watford emo) indie shtick is. Their last album, Start Again, was one of my favourites of 2021 for its poppier, enthusiastic and instrumentally dense take on the American Football sound.
The new album picks up where that album left off, refining the sound of the six-piece with ramped-up confidence and optimism - and for guitar nerds like me also continues the trend of adding the guitar tunings to the album liner notes (mostly Open D and variations but with a couple of Open G songs this time around). Opener Deep End delights from the off with its unresolved chord progression, layered vocals and handclaps. The firecracker energy of Start Again’s titular track is captured anew in the pacy Aces, which earns its guitar hero solo.
The high point of the album for me comes midway on Side B with TLC, which puts Blue Jenkins’s vocals to the fore alongside a delightfully sweet music box melody, before its second half brings a message of optimism juxtaposed against off-kilter time signatures and melancholic arpeggiations. The decision to equally split the lyrical and vocal mix on this album between frontman Roberto Cappellina and Blue pays off, lending a much-needed source of variety to what could otherwise be a fairly homogenous set of songs. In this context, Blue’s recent departure from the band is a shame, but it will be interesting to see the direction that emerges with new vocalist Cat Rowland.
At the end of this month I’ll be at Portals Festival on the Saturday (the next edition will be dedicated to this) - Lakes will be playing and I will definitely be there this time!
Listen on Spotify | Listen on TIDAL
Other News
My good friend Ben Parker’s band Calva Louise have been releasing some new bangers ahead of a new album mixtape release scheduled for this September, and a UK tour in May.
Sawce are back with a brand new single, a few years after their excellent Bedtime Stories EP. Hopefully more music to come from the math rockers.
Ithaca have announced “A Very Special Evening with” show at The Dome in London on November 25th, where they will play most recent album They Fear Us (Kerrang’s #2 Album of 2022) in its entirety with a series of guest musicians.
American Football have bought The American Football House.