While scrolling across Twitter a few nights ago, I saw the account @thisbandfucks post a bandcamp link. Bored, I played the preview for waveform*’s “Tell You” and was instantly enamored. Instantly reminded of Greet Death’s “Do You Feel Nothing?”, this rare mesh of raw, emotive lyricism with dreary, exhausting guitars resonates with me on a different level than most music. After some digging, I saw the band was meticulous and mysterious, and knew I had to get a preview of upcoming LP Last Room.
In my initial experience discovering waveform*, I found previous effort Shooting Star to be chock full of short, concise tunes bursting with depressive, desperate vocals and dreamlike instrumentals. With ten tracks only lasting twenty-four minutes, one would assume that brief songs are lacking in content. I’m here to say that’s not the case at all with waveform*.
Last Room rounds out each piece with a similar length: about two-and-a-half minutes. While consistent in tone, there’s a lot to unpack in this album. Where songs like “Tell You” maintain a high-angst, reverb-y pace, “Book of Curse” brings in a slow-moving piano with whispered vocal delivery. The front-to-back jaunt of Last Room is a rollercoaster of heavy emotions.
Some music can be put in the background without a second thought, but waveform* makes music that rewards immersion. With all the moving parts in place, it’s hard for songs off Last Room to escape the listener’s head after they’re over – I’ve had “Hello Goodbye” crammed in mine for hours. Importantly, the album doesn’t lose its luster, as tracks 8 and 9 contain some of the best moments.
With an invigorating synth here and a haunting harmony there, the curveballs on Last Room are enough to make track 1 just as memorable as track 10. Mixed/mastered by Gleemer (who also put out a stellar album this year), one would be remiss to miss out on waveform*. The passion put into this new LP is clear, and deserves to be heard by as many ears as they can reach.
Rating: 9.5/10
A press copy of Last Room was provided courtesy of waveform*.
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