Dwellings are one band you have heard of if you’re familiar with the post-hardcore scene that has been influencing more musicians. However, the guys in Dwellings have been at it for nearly 3 years. In 2016 they released the powerfully driven song Lemonade which was an excellent introduction into the band’s diverse sound. This newest release Lavender Town, while having been in the making for quite some time, was worth the wait. Since production began they have teased multiple songs which are featured on the record. Hearing all of those singles in the context of the album makes it even better.
What I love about this record is how it hits you hard right away. While the screaming isn’t necessarily the most impressive in terms of variety or technique, it adds a nice tension. It’s not used very often but that’s what makes the moments it is used even better. Pink Noise is a great combination of both groove and heaviness that will get you moshing and showing off those dance moves you unwillingly learned at your mom’s dance class years ago. Besides that, I think the attention to detail is what puts Dwellings a notch above some of the post-hardcore bands which are surfacing at this time. All of the instrumentation is on par with any of your favorite bands, and the songwriting is impressive, to say the least.
From there it transitions into Sins As Wonders, while not my favorite song on the record, is still a solid song. I love the intro section where the guitar, vocals, and drums start it off, with the bass coming in shortly after. There’s a certain tension that builds until the drums come in, which keeps the song driving. Around the 1:26 mark they change up the whole entire feel of the song, by busting out a groovy instrumental section. While there are a lot of repeated parts throughout most of the song, I love how they switched it up yet again at around the 4:16 mark. There’s so much groove within that one section, yet the whole album has many moments similar to this one.
My favorite song on the album, however, is Color of the Cat Tree. That intro is the most memorable moment on the record for me, especially with how easily it transitions into the syncopated section among all the instruments. Both the vocals and backup vocals are executed well, especially the ones leading up to the intense double bass section on the drums. I love the contrasts between the verses and the sections between them. If there is one thing Dwellings does well, it’s creating tension and knowing how to diversify sections. At one point during the song, the instruments stop completely and suddenly there’s a fury of notes come from all the instruments. Just after that is the heaviest point on the song, perhaps the album as well, and is almost a metalcore breakdown but doesn’t get too chuggy. Later in the song, there’s a heavily jazz-influenced section that’s almost a swing. Props to this band for always keeping it interesting.
The final song I want to mention from the record is See It Through. I usually talk about the instrumental aspects of music, yet this one stuck out because of its lyrical matter. Prescription drug abuse has been a serious problem for awhile, but not many artists address it. In the context of the music video, I begin to appreciate the song even more. This song is all sorts of funk, which I absolutely love. Yet, it still has that technical element which is seen throughout the progressive post-hardcore realm. While it veers on the longer side, like most of the songs on the record, it has enough diverse parts to keep the listener attentive throughout the song. There’s a part about a minute before the song ends which would serve as a great ending point.
I guess that’s my one complaint with the record as a whole: most of the songs veer on the longer side and have many parts which repeat. While doing that, they still keep it interesting and have moments that make this record a contender for my AOTY.
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