Review Summary: Last Leg on the Human Table is the sort of album that almost feels like it shouldn’t work as well as it does.
At first, Cloakroom’s fourth album seems poised to replicate 2022’s Dissolution Wave with a similarly compact shoegaze approach. However, Last Leg of the Human Table immediately establishes itself as the band’s most upbeat outing yet, presenting its fuzzed out tug o’ war with more driving tempos and an avoidance of their slowcore tendencies. There’s also a certain brightness in the atmosphere this time around, making for an uplifting listen even in the midst of its heaviest hazes.
This shift results in a heightened sense of variety, making for some songs that seem like they should be out of the band’s wheelhouse. Tracks like “Ester Wind,” “Story of the Egg” and “Clover Looper” are downright speedy by their usual plodding standards, digging into alt-rock territory, while “Unbelonging” puts that drive toward ethereal ends. Of course, there’s still room for their typical dynamic displays with tracks like “The Lights Are On” and the closing “Turbine Song” are enveloped in comforting rumbles while “Bad Larry” is a much gentler slice of space balladry with borderline Velvet Underground vibes.
It also gives the musicianship a different sort of perspective, staying true to their tropes even during the outliers and redistributing the balance in their presences. The vocals feel particular emboldened with a more prominent spot in the mix with still exclusively delivering a placid melodicism and the drums have more energy behind them. Of course the bass still dominates much of the proceedings with a consistently fuzzy backbone while the guitars shape the soundscapes beautifully regardless of the mood at play.
Overall, Last Leg on the Human Table is the sort of album that almost feels like it shouldn’t work as well as it does. It’s no doubt a bid for greater accessibility in some regards and the emphasis on faster alt influences could’ve fallen flat or gotten unwieldy in the wrong hands, but the band’s personality and penchant for delivering their contrasts with sweet melodies is always a win. With each of Cloakroom’s albums exploring different grounds of their shoegaze style, it can be tricky to identify a particular favorite but this album would certainly make for a tight first impression.
