Release Date: July 25, 2019
Label: RBM Records
Less than a year removed from their debut release, The Pull of
Autumn is back with Afterglow, a rich infusion of varied post-punk
influences that take the listener to new places, feeling all-the-while like
they’ve been there before. The Pull of Autumn is a Boston-based collective of
members from Throwing Muses, Hood, Seasurfer, Orange Cake Mix, Hood, and Nick
and the Bad Seeds.
Arrangements are lush, and textures are as varied as the band’s
contributors. Traces of influence from these artists’ former groups are
unashamedly in the forefront. The fusion of talent evokes a vibe from decades
ago when the punk rock attitude embraced by skilled musicians gave birth to
post-punk and neo-psychedelia and modern new age.
Reminiscent of Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs, Mark
Campbell of the Nails, and David Bowie during his Berlin trilogy, Luke ‘Skyscraper’
James’ vocals are brazened if not melodramatic. On tracks such as “Trouble
Time,” “Not Coming Down,” and “Hey America” there feels like an impedance
mismatch between James’ vocals and the driving sonic currents flowing
below.
The most compelling parts of Afterglow are the more
layered and atmospheric songs where James is not bellowing theatrically to the
heavens. These are the tracks with their synth fuzz undertones and layered
guitar and piano, which feel like Autumn itself. “Distance,” “They Went Up,”
and “Wallow” are lo-fi works of art. “Crack the Red” sounds something from
Neutral Milk Hotel while “Sitting by the Window” sounds like a lost track
from Love’s “Forever Changes.”
For me, dropping the needle on any ten seconds of Joy Division’s Unknown
Pleasures stirs memories from a slice of time when the future felt
frightening, yet full of possibilities. Similarly, The Pull of Autumn’s Afterglow emanates
eerily into the present, bringing forth reverberations from a bygone age when
fearless experimentation combined with post-punk narcissism evoked a haunting
trepidation of the future. Through its highs and lows, darkness and light, and
twists and turns, the end result of this listening journey is nothing short of
exhilaration.
Tom Endyke-MuzikMan.net
Staff
October 16, 2019
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The Tracks
Tracks:
01. Injure the Swallow
02. Trouble Time
03. Distance
04. They Went Up …
05. Haunted by the Rain
06. Coming Down
07. The Stars or The Jungle
08. Crack the Red
09. Sitting by the Window
10. Sacred Ground
11. Equinox
12. Colder House
13. Stained Glass Windows
14. Hey America!
15. Wallow
Tracks:
01. Injure the Swallow
02. Trouble Time
03. Distance
04. They Went Up …
05. Haunted by the Rain
06. Coming Down
07. The Stars or The Jungle
08. Crack the Red
09. Sitting by the Window
10. Sacred Ground
11. Equinox
12. Colder House
13. Stained Glass Windows
14. Hey America!
15. Wallow
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