The press release I received about Keep‘s new album, Almost Static, reads, “This is an album built for long hours spent in the car which is frequently reflected in the lyrics. Almost Static explores many of thoughts that might cross one’s mind on such expansive journeys. It’s a driving and anthemic record that navigates the meandering nature of a world that won’t slow down. It’s a soundtrack for hurtling further and further into oblivion.”
That’s accurate. The opening guitars of “Fun Facts” pretty much toss you over the cliff with a small paraglider and hope for the best. The echoing vocals help you float, but also might be luring you toward the cliff on the other side of the valley. The drums and bass on “Smile Down” are crisp and yet crushing. “Decoy” continues the sonic assault, and then “Bermuda” comes in like a lost darkwave track from the early 1980s. Keep’s love of The Cure is evident on the track in the way the instruments seem to creep around the back of the room while a dance party happens on the other side of the wall.
“New Jewelry” and the title track remind me a bit of some mellower Failure tracks with its hooky beats and space orbit vocals. The bass on “No Pulse” is thick and almost palpable. The guitars nearly wander into prog-rock jams at some points.
“Sodawater” chugs along with a bit of gloom, but you can’t help noticing some sunlight (Those guitar chords!) through the dark clouds now and then. “Gasoline” reminds me of late 80s / early 90s goth tracks when shoegaze was emerging from its cocoon. Closing track “Hurt a Fly” feels like the rush you’d get from landing on the ground in the valley over which you’ve been floating this whole time, and running along the soft earth as the wind almost picks you back up again.
It’s a solid record of fuzz, force, and finesse that is indeed perfect for late nights in the car or on an airplane. Check it out.
Keep your mind open.
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[Thanks to Alex at Terrorbird Media.]