Review Summary: The soundtrack to giving up, but not giving in.
It’s that time of the year again. The time of year when we all gather together and see who can prove their love the most by purchasing the most gifts. I used to love this time of year when I was younger, but as I grew older I stopped putting so much value in material possessions. I started to feel really empty and noticed that there was a void inside me. I’m still not sure what’s
supposed to go there, but I’ve tried filling it with plenty of different things. My most common filler has, of course, been music because what purpose does music serve other than to distract us, or if we’re in the mood remind us, of our quest towards nothingness. I’m not saying I’m a nihilist I just have an awful habit of rejecting all preconceived notions regarding life as we know it (as if we could even know anything LOL). Although if you are a nihilist I suppose there’s three courses of action you could choose from: a) Acknowledge that life is meaningless, but continue living because you’ve been given an opportunity to experience life without consequences, b) Acknowledge that life is meaningless and end your life because it’s just a waste of time and not worth the trouble, or if you really want to piss people off c) Acknowledge that life is meaningless and then say but “Who Cares”.
Unwound honestly don’t give a ***.
In their past, Unwound would scream and shout to anybody that would listen: “HEY YOU GUYS REALIZE THIS ALL EQUATES TO NOTHING, RIGHT?” but on their final album,
Leaves Turn Inside You they finally realized that nobody
was listening, so vocalist Justin Trosper decided to moan and wail so dispassionately even Thom Yorke would be taken aback. Although, it doesn’t really matter whether Trosper is really interested in what he’s saying, since it’s gripping and cryptic enough to garner the interest it deserves. But, if you’re not really into lyrics, just listening to the music should suffice as it’s just as bleak and hopeless as Trosper’s prose.
For a three-piece, Unwound sure know how to make a lot of noise. However, they do get a little bit of help on a few tracks, including the sprawling “Terminus” which goes through phases of minimalism to apocalyptic orchestration to soaring reverb. This 9-minute epic leads seamlessly into the chill albeit chilling “Demons Sing Love Songs”. It’s amazing that for an album so downcast and ultimately hopeless can contain fourteen truly unique songs. It’s impossible to compare Unwound to any other band or “sound” because to do so would completely undermine everything they’ve worked so apathetically to destroy.
At 76 minutes,
Leaves Turn Inside You will be a challenging listen for most, but if you’re depressed and depraved enough to make the effort, there’s no doubt you’ll be astounded.
glad u checked it out
