I’m torn. Is this limp, generic alt-rock, or is it something more? I felt the same on first hearing This Et Al, The Telegraphs, and Eight Storey Window, three bands I absolutely love but found myself on the fence with at first.
Here’s the quandary: where to they sit on the spectrum between Oceansize and Muse or some fairly tepid indie / alt-rock? The first track, ‘Envision’ exemplifies the dilemma: it’s expansive and has a certain neoprog vibe, but is equally quite accessible and a bit Foos. And is the ‘woo-hoo’ backing to the chorus acceptable, a punk throwback, or some stadium-indie Kerrang Radio mainstresminess? And why can’t I decide?
‘Silent Running’ shared a title with a single by Mike & the Mechanics for a start, and is one of those albums that balances accessibility and true grit, and there’s a lot of good noise and angsty aggression here. The title track is a hybrid of Oceansize and Fugazi, a collision of punk and epic contemporary prog, while ‘Beholders’ has a strong Amplifier hue. A lot of it’s in the dynamics. They do often evoke Trail of Dead and Six Organs of Admittance.
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Then again, ‘The Ejector Slide’ could easily be ‘Everlong’ reimagined.. but ‘Timezone’ has a dash of Shellac and lumbers along and ultimately, this is an album of contrasts. And they work. It shouldn’t be a question of dynamics or harmony: Watertank clearly understand both, and have produced an album which has both tunefulness and attack, and it’s not only accomplished but seriously good.
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