Here's a note of warning for the excessively bearded: Ultraviolet is another in a growing line of records that'll have you using your extensive whisker growth to sop up tears of sadness as the once proudly sludgy Savannah sound slowly erodes the slime and grime with melodic touches, singing, vocal harmonies and a classic rock/psychedelic shimmer.
Baroness’s Yellow & Green was the biggest step to the left, though Kylesa have been hinting at broader capabilities since nailing down the two-drummer setup in 2008. Previously, Spiral Shadow jackhammered desolate new wave, dark rock and grunge into the moody sludge and Ultraviolet does more broadstroking outside of the lines.
Low Tide and Unspoken are marvels, combining indie rock pensiveness with crushing distortion and car-commercial melodies. Even when tempos are kicked into higher gears, like on Vulture’s Landing, there are still layers of flightiness. Vocals are a point of focus more than ever as Phillip Cope and Laura Pleasants utilise a variety of tones, from harsh screams and bellowing to crooning and gentle whispers. Heck, Laura even does a duet with herself on the tie-dyed Steady Breakdown! Ambitious stuff all around.
