Outer Heaven sees Greys' ambitious vision fully realized. Longtime friend and producer Mike Rocha helped the band, who co-produced it, bring it to life. Where some of their previous efforts carried more obvious influences, the band weaves more disparate inspirations into a sonic world all their own that is both immediate and ambiguously serene.
The entire album flows fluidly and lucidly, transitioning smoothly from heavier moments of driving washed out post-punk to bright and jangly indie folk. The guitar and bass tones are situated expertly throughout the album to have just the right amount of ambiguity and just the right amount of clear expression.
The international duo recorded their debut self-titled LP between the three cities of Berlin, Tampa Bay, and Palermo. Despite such a scattered-seeming recording process their effort comes out with surprising clarity and cohesion. Death Index is packed with well written and produced fusions of goth, post-punk, metal, and noise-rock.
Human Performance is a fitting title. Not because the band feels the need to affirm some archaic rockist idea of authenticity and distance themselves from popular electronic music, but simply because they've allowed themselves to fully expose their own flaws and insecurities instead of hiding them under the guise of devil-may-care nonchalance.
Crow himself looks great. Fit and lean it’s clear that the break was beneficial. You can also hear it in the music. He might even be having fun. The album is full of that patented Crow “prog pop” sound. Baritone guitar and bass heavy melodies, heavy lyrics sung in a sing-song way, and riffs and grooves a plenty.
Next Thing should be listened to with close attention. While the catchy hooks and upbeat rhythms may soundtrack a summer drive to the beach, I find the record best suits a solitary listening experience. Just like rewarding poetry, the songs on Next Thing play like a candid conversation between writer and reader.
