Labels: Thrill Jockey
Review by: Alex Deller
Must admit, it took me a while to check this lot out given my general unfondness for Liturgy and their connection to this here new Thrill Jockey signing. More fool me, it would seem, since Survival’s debut is pretty gosh-darn special, a blurred mix of math-rock crunch, sneaky melodies and far loftier aspirations. Opener ‘Tragedy Of The Mind’ sets the tone with bold, angular guitar lines reminiscent of Tonie Joy’s later efforts (think: The Great Unravelling / The Convocation Of) wedded to a weightier set priorities that bring Don Caballero to mind. It’s when the vocals kick in that things get even more interesting, all Rock Frontman histrionics dispensed with in favour of quiet chants and below-radar murmurs that leave Survival sounding akin to a Party Of Helicopters who’d stopped singing about moustaches and taken the time to mug up for a philosophy degree. Beyond the music itself there’s an odd sense of purpose to proceedings that really sets the band apart, a barely-perceptible thrum that drives things forward by subtle force of will instead of yammering, self-important insistence. While it’ll be the cracking tracks that lure you in, it’s these strange, nameless undercurrents that’ll keep you coming back, the slow surges and quiet determination raising the stakes a notch and rendering this interesting, intriguing and, for my money, one of the year’s best rock records so far.