More top-flight UK emo from Render, who this time beam three songs down onto a 10”, lathe-cut record. As with their demo and EP the sound and aesthetic are rooted in the 90s, with red-raw screams, pretty arpeggios and jagged crunches all housed in a handsome manilla sleeve. ‘Drift’ impresses with its rolling riffs and the way the harsh, blistered shrieks are pitted against strained melodic yells, while ‘In The Safety Of The Lumen’ gives off September (band, not month) vibes thanks to its reliance on twinkly guitar patterns and mumbly, sung-spoken vocals. As per usual I’m going to mention bands like Bob Tilton, Current and Embassy, though it recently struck me that unsung Sundowner are also an apt comparison, thanks to their ability to merge chunky, driving riffs with a sense of desperate, forlorn prettiness.
