by Kris Handel (@khandel84)
Sometimes out of the ashes rises something even more astonishing and beautiful than that was once before it, Knot prove that axiom to be wholly true. With their self-titled debut, Knot, the quartet of Jonah Furman, Aaron Ratoff, Ian Becker, and Joe Demanuelle-Hall have made an album full of intense questioning, rising anger and reveling in a universal interconnectedness. Furman and Demanuelle-Hall’s guitars weave in and out of each other through slithering and tension laden leads and chunking chording behind a steadfast and pounding rhythm section. This record reckons with how people interact and treat each other in a society that always seems to be on the edge of collapse/change and examines how structures in life need prodding and cajoling to progress.
“Fallow” starts off the record with ringing guitars dancing around leisurely and slinking bass before dropping out into a wriggling and tangled tale of how to get the best out of the most barren of circumstances. Furman’s voice quivers and rises throughout the slow build and burn while dropping lines about re-invigoration and a form of rebirth like “Fallow/ the fields considered/the use and goodness of dew and moisture/So I considered/The use and goodness… of EVERYTHING” and “After some real time wringing/hollow/ the thought occurring/change is key...”. “Justice” is a wiggling and jutting piece of roiling anxiety with sharp stops and changes in time signatures as Furman’s vocals convey a sense of formidable strength. Furman sings of realizations that coming to join in a union either interpersonally or socially is the way to enact true change and bring compassion and love to everything one does and the proper way forward.
“I Live in Fear” is an examination of paranoia in those that have a stronghold in power or privilege and how it impacts everyday life. Here Furman sings from the perspective of an unwittingly privileged person who runs into minor inconveniences like a child crying of hunger in a café, or how giving up a portion of power through considerate actions could lead to a theoretical uprising. The track proves to be an incisive condemnation of those lacking in empathy or those of a comfortable socioeconomic status showing an unwillingness to work towards equality and a better way of life for everyone. “The World” is another examination of how to work towards making something so large a better place for more people and throwing yourself full force into doing so, which is echoed in an impressive musical display of rolling drum-work and jagged and crashing guitar riffs. Furman repeats the mantra of “I don’t want another world/I want this one…” while acknowledging that changes need to take place and that working towards doing so brings with it a challenging unpredictability that becomes necessary.
Although there are some things that can and will be forever, Knot have made a record that is very much of the here and now and one that asks you to do work both inwards and outwards. Knot provide a challenge to everyone that listens to persevere and work through issues in your personal lives as well as socially. This record shows a band that has something of substance musically and lyrically to add to the fray and does so in a unique and thoughtful manner. It’s a record that pushes itself and doesn’t relent in its effort to reach its ambitions. There is a nous to everything on display here, Furman and company have added some new musical and lyrical alleys to explore in a thoughtful and measured way. Knot is a record that raises a bar in so many ways and encourages you to do hard work for your own growth as well as the promise of the future.