65daysofstatic - We Were Exploding Anyway (2010)

65daysofstatic's new album will probably gain them a whole lot of new fans, but also make longtime fans cringe. This album must have been very anticipated. The band waited three years to deliver this one after taking only three years to give us their first three albums. Clearly a lot has happened over this time since their sound has undergone quite a change. Their first three albums were all relatively constant in style and quality, with frantic guitars and percussion, interspersed with nice ambient passages, and electronics used to give the music a rather unique texture. The music was confusing. It often shifted between gloom and beauty, fast and slow, loud and not so loud, but it was unpredictable for those new to it. This album is similar in style, but heavy on the dance elements. It’s less frantic and not as dark. There is some post-punk grime and some rapid percussive effects, but it’s got an entirely different feel. Their debut, The Fall of Math (2004) had more in common with Nine Inch Nails than, say, Hot Chip. I don’t object strongly to their new sound. I do think what they were doing before is less common, and they did it so well, but this is a fine album.

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