by Daniel Stevenson (@stevensondl1)
Released by New York-based record label, Sad Cactus, This New Basement’s latest album, Scatter, is an eclectic and unique distillation of indie, mathy, jazzy and post-punk sounds. Each of the six tracks on the album swing between soft, intimate harmonies and wild heavy sections. Their sound is notably led by inventive and layered guitar lines, precise and unexpected drum fills, and a liberal application of effects and space noises. The album also features lightly sung harmonized vocals a la Tera Melos, and a lovely use of speech samples and spoken word poetry.
Scatter features members of Tundrastomper, Maxshh, Landowner, Freaking, and likely more, showcasing the experimental music scene across Massachusetts and New York. The opening track, “Zebra Speak,” is a murky dreamscape that shifts swiftly to Latin groove before morphing into a hardcore breakdown, complete with screaming and ring modulation. Their stylistic choices reflect a wide palette of influence, and it’s damn near impossible to anticipate what turn the group will take next.
“Cryptid” is a pulsing track that grows from an eerie, pitch-shifted whisper to a distorted punk sermon. The song is reminiscent of “Pulk / Pull Revolving Doors” off of Radiohead’s Amnesiac – not just in the pitch-shifted vocals, but in its spirit of tonal tinkering and sound experimentation. The quartet frequently reminds listeners of their commitment to irreverence and aversion to orthodoxy as they head towards a noisy climax.
“I Don’t Mind The Taste” features disorienting and frantic guitar lines combined with punk poetry and macabre storytelling. The song paces wonderfully, finding tranquility between breakbeat chaos and evocative, doomy imagery from guest vocalist Dan Shaw of Landowner. “The pond is full of angry swans, and you’ve got bread…”
Fusing these intentionally stilted and fractured stylistic sections, the group retains a strong sense of groove throughout and shows their influence in bebop-inspired guitar lines, subtle feel changes, and complete commitment to exploring all tonal possibilities. With Scatter, This New Basement paints a bizarre and intriguing mosaic that doesn’t back away from any shade of sound.