Review Summary: phcgaze: the return of the return!
One of 2023’s primary problems in terms of punky RFC-pilled grungegazemo output is that it is not 2013. While some of the records in that wonderful subgenre from a decadeish ago have aged better (
Jar,
Feast of Love,
Floral Green) than others (
Youth,
Magnolia), nothing since has been able to properly recapture the magic of these wonderfully derivative albums.
Sign Language are here to change that. After having spawned out of nowhere (or Ohio, according to Bandcamp), the band’s debut
Madison & Floral is a surprisingly refreshing take on a genre that wasn’t ever meant to be all that fresh. While everything here is as reverb-drenched and thiccly produced as it should be, the band manage to set themselves apart by highlighting all the right elements of their sound. Their dual vocal dynamic of gruff screm / heavenly hum is used tastefully throughout: both styles slot in perfectly with the densely ethereal soundscape and manage to enhance allotted sections. From fist-in-the-air shout-along moments to fist-on-the-floor contemplate-your-life moments,
Madison & Floral has it all. Moreover, the record has riffs of all shapes and sizes - delightful post-hardcore grooves, nostalgic melodic leads, heavenly gaze-y textures: you name it. Most importantly, however, is the passion that can be felt in every crevice of the album’s brief 30-minute runtime. As a result,
Madison & Floral is an absolute blast of a listen: it succumbs to neither nostalgia nor overcompensation and just has a wonderfully good time instead. Sign Language have put together a record that hits all the right notes for the 2013-yearners among us while simultaneously hinting at a bright future for a genre stuck in the past’s past - and that is one hell of a joy-inspiring accomplishment.
