PREOCCUPATIONS - Arrangements

After the uninspired “New Material”, the Canadian post-punk quartet returns without the backing of Jagjaguwar, now solely under the wing of Canada's Flemish Eye, but with renewed energy.

The corrosive sound of their early days, under the disavowed name Viet Cong, is truly a distant memory by now: ambition and ideological weight have wrapped the band's energy in a hazy, dark sonic body, anger has given way to resignation, and the post-punk groove has settled into something tamer, loosening its grip on the more unsettling influences (Sonics and Black Sabbath). What remains is an unshakeable nihilism, which Preoccupations dress up with shoegaze touches, unexpected psych-rock turns and a patchwork of references that doesn't always do the new project's originality any favours. Still, the step forward from the previous album is clear: exuberance has given way to a reasonable awareness of just how dramatic the current times are.

The essence of “Arrangements” is distilled into the generous seven and a half minutes of “Advisor”, a track that acts as a catalyst for the record's strengths and weaknesses, an introduction worthy of the Thin White Duke's Berlin trilogy: darkwave urges and hints of garage-rock untangle the thread, Matthew Flegel's voice stays in the background, letting the interplay of bass, keyboards and guitars lead the dance, stirring up a sense of emptiness and uncertainty that is the band's real Achilles' heel. In recounting anguish and chaos, Preoccupations sometimes fail to fully bring the sonic picture into focus; the melodies are built around the vulnerable nature of the lyrics, which remain as strong as ever, yielding results that are at times stimulating (“Fix Bayonets!”), at times less than thrilling (“Death Of Melody”), while the shoegaze-inflected take on Cure in “Slowly” teases without ever really digging in.

“Arrangements” is a record that doesn't fully capitalise on the recent post-punk revival, and it's not clear whether that's by choice or creative frustration, but every step in the right direction is matched by an insecurity that doesn't help the final result.

It's an album that works better as a sonic epitaph for post-punk: the Canadians' new compositions carry more rust than blood, and it's ultimately curious that the two most melodic bursts on the record are the ones flying the band's flag highest, namely the seductive and memorable “Ricochet” (hard not to think of Chameleons) and the incandescent, tribal romantic-goth dance of “Tearing Up The Grass”.

More than a confirmation, the new Preoccupations album is a fresh start, a potential reload for a band that still has a lot to say.

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09/12/2022