Following the release of their two EPs, 2010’s Diagonal Fields and 2011’s II, Arc in Round, the brainchild of producer/engineer extraordinaire Jeff Ziegler, has finally released a self-titled full-length album via La Société Expéditionnaire.
With “II,” Matt Ricchini’s drums kick in the door of the LP’s opener - almost immediately the layering of sound begins to take shape as the bass and percussion build an intense forward thrust while the vocals provide a cool calming force counterbalancing the speed of the initial instrumentation. The following track “One-sided” uses similar steady rolling rhythms; however, the overall feel is much more controlled. Its airy, naturally soothing vocals provide a carefree atmosphere even as the lyrics stir the pot. “Did you talk about it? Or did you keep shit to yourself?” Even amid the pop-backdrop, the combination of thudding bass and multifaceted keyboard work keeps things interesting. “Volume Sets All the Time” is an enjoyable mix of spaced-out musicality and Edwards’ definitive vocals. Distorted screaming guitar pushes toward the edges as continuously pumping drums snap in time breaking through the futuristic chaos, which continues into the next song and the album’s featured single “Hallowed.” The track is easily the highlight of the record for me with its dark, sinister ambience - something that I hope the band continues to explore in later works. Towards the end of the LP, “For Concern” generates steam as the various instruments relay the lead, from the menacing keyboards, to cyclical drums, and then guitar, which sears to the forefront. When Edwards’ vocals take their turn in the front seat it’s as though the music is planning its next move as the song scales along the various elements seemingly playing tag, yet combining forces to reach a powerful synergy.
In thiseponymous album, the band continues its journey creating space-age music that may sound chaotic at first. However, as the layers build, underlining harmonies emerge pulling you in and out of a dream-like state. Shall I say that you shouldn’t sleep on this LP? The record is currently available on limited edition white vinyl with exclusive remixes by Lymbyc Systym and Our Brother the Native, which you can purchase HERE. - Michael Colavita
For those who decide whether to come or go based on the first forty seconds of an album, Restorations’ LP2 is practically tailor-made for snap judgments. After a chiming, anthemic guitar opening, the band already known for fist-raising jams lets all hell break loose with “D,” their most unrestrained opener yet. The drum kit-mauling, earth-shaking bass lines and ascendant guitar riffs can only be described as complete sensory overload, and make it clear that the following eleven songs are going to be fueled by pure viscera. If your preferences run towards structure over huge sound, this release may leave you cold; LP2’s predominant means of exploring the band’s wealth of ideas are stadium-sized instrumentation and endless waves of atmospherics, as well as a dose of ennui.
This is a murkier, more inward-looking Restorations than we’re used to. Everything that was there before, musically, is blown sky-high this time around. They’ve managed to pack ideas into every iota of the song list, aided by Jon Low’s miles-deep production; the density of the music itself is offset by an album-long meditation on place, belonging, and the ramifications of leaving the familiar behind, which makes the outsized sound that much more of an interesting direction. Juxtaposing the existential discomfort with more sophisticated, complex forays into Restorations’ sonic wheelhouse.
The spiraling guitars, one of the album’s specially prominent features, are everywhere, serving various purposes in each song. “Kind of Comfort”’s jittery glam rock aspirations accompany lyrics of searching and wanderlust. Even the more downbeat cuts (“In Perpetuity Through The Universe,” “New Old”) are propelled beyond their subject matter by the songs’ barely-concealed restless energy. At its more pensive moments, like the folk-inflected “Civil Inattention,” there is a restless undercurrent of texture and volatility that never quite lets up.
Album closer “Adventure Tortoise” is all monster buildup laced with extraterrestrial effects, kicking off into a sort of requiem for the band’s neighborhood. “I’d really like to stay to help this place,” growls Jon Loudon through his teeth, but the allure of letting it all go is too strong to resist. The longing for a place “where nobody knows your name” isn’t quite all-consuming enough to inspire real action, but it is definitely the new paradigm Loudon means.
It takes guts to pull off a release that feels ten minutes long but contains more emotional and musical texture than most records. Restorations cover a whole lot of ground on LP2, and for the most part, pull off their ambitions. A bit too sanguine for shoegaze, and maybe too heady for punk, Restorations’ second full-length album brings an intriguing palette of aspirations to their open road-ready sound, prepared to try anything and everything. - Alyssa Greenberg
