Review Text
2014 release from the Indie Rock band. Voluntarily adhering to a more stripped-down approach to production, the band nonetheless retain the sonic density of their previous releases. WHEN SHAPES OF SPILT BLOOD SPELT LOVE matches it's predecessor's set of 'unabashedly dramatic, sweeping rock songs' (PopMatters) with a rawer edge, fusing strategically sparse layers of guitars and reverb over cymbal-less drums and bass-heavy riffs. The vocals are clear-cut and advance solitarily through the flowing sound, creating a sonic language that is as upfront as it is dreamy, and an album that aesthetically falls somewhere between the epic M83-esque soundscapes of their debut and sequences of pop-sensitive songwriting, playing more like a Wild Nothings record from a misshapen parallel dimension. Working predominately in Berlin, with additional elements tracked in France and the US, the album was recorded and mixed in a total of 30 days and nights. In keeping with the band's typical work method, it was self-recorded and produced, with minimal outside intervention.
