by Cole Makuch
Crowd Can Talk is a masterclass for rhythm sections and on making the most of three musicians. The EP adds to Lifeguard’s already-impressive body of work with the group’s catchiest riff writing, punchiest song structures, and most explosive-sounding recordings to date, which range in dynamics from moody, driving post-punk to screamy post-hardcore.
Guitarist Kai Slater and bassist Asher Case trade melodic duties, playing off each other to create cohesive parts that are cemented by drummer Isaac Lowenstein’s thematic direction and underpinned by detached vocals from Slater and Case. On every track, the trio quickly establishes catchy grooves that are propelled forward by off-kilter time signatures and Lowenstein’s impeccable feel for transitioning from theme to theme. They cycle coolly through rapid-fire ideas in a way that leaves the listener unsure of what’s coming next, but always confident where they are when they finally arrive.
Nowhere is Lifeguard’s ability to land the listener on their feet executed more effectively than on “Typecast,” the epic seven-minute closer and most ambitious track of the EP. After charging to a climax through no fewer than six themes (this isn’t your parent’s post-punk), the band is engulfed in a cloud of noise and erratic, phased drums, and the only steady lifeline of time kept on the hi-hats slowly fades away. From the chaos, a tumbling groove emerges and establishes itself: the surest landing from the shakiest change. Fadeout.
While “Typecast” is a highlight of the EP and a strong track by any measure, its ending also reveals the biggest disappointment of Crowd Can Talk: that the whole thing is over too quickly. The crowd wants an encore.