Review Summary: "What the fuck are we doing?"
As I continue venturing through my late 20's, I find myself more and more questioning the path I have chosen on what feels like a never-ending quest for personal and professional fulfillment and validation. I can boil it down to one simple question: Was this really worth it? Similarly, the alt-rock/emo group, Microwave, have examined their "path" and considered the effects of strained relationships, deteriorating health and financial struggles as non-stop touring musicians in their newest album, Death Is A Warm Blanket.
Known for their introspective lyrics and upbeat melodies, Microwave have shed their previously optimistic outlook for one much darker, more frustrated, and at times, indicative of a person who's approaching their breaking point. Even the album's title implies a level of hopelessness by effectively combining oblivion and solace. The group's vulnerability is on full display from start to finish, a controlled burn that sears self-reflection into the listener's conscious.
Musically, Microwave seeks to expand their boundaries with Death Is A Warm Blanket, branching out from their emo-y alt-rock roots into a drastically heavier direction. Influences from Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails and As Cities Burn, just to name a few, quickly make themselves present. Front man Nathan Hardy's vocals are as impressive as ever, transitioning from The Chariot-esque screams to gripping yells and soft-spoken singing. There is also no shortage of furious guitar performances from Hardy and fellow band member Wesley Swanson, on notable tracks “Float to the Top", "DIAWB" and "Mirrors." The soaring "Mirrors" is arguably the highlight of the album, featuring a missile of raw, ambient noise and thundering breakdowns.
As the album begins to wind down with "Part Of It”, Hardy presents some of the most powerful lyrics of the band's career, poetically accepting the struggles he faces as a musician.
"In a perfect world, I don’t think I would sing
My voice would shrink in peaceful atrophy...
So when it’s all unfolding, when you’re ripping out your seams, when the tides start calling, i hope you think of me."
Death Is A Warm Blanket is a refreshing addition to Microwave's discography, showcasing the band's maturity in a cohesively chaotic manner and proving a band doesn’t have to continually create the same sound album after album. Though this record is by no means perfect, it is yet another step forward in the group’s discography and is their best attempt thus far in making a name for themselves in what feels like an ever-fading genre in 2019.
