Creative Adult refuse to stay in one place for too long on their slow-burning sophomore record, Fear of Life. A great number of influences present themselves across the nine-song set, and yet it never comes off as obtuse; the band tie them all together with hazy, psychedelic atmosphere.
A fair amount of the record rolls along at a steady pace, but cuts like "I Can Love," and in particular "Reality Tunnel," switch gears and dive headfirst into more punk-oriented territory, Scott Phillips' usual slurring drawl morphing into a yell, the pickup in tempo keeping the overall set varied. Album highlight "Moving Window" stands apart from the other songs, not only because it has the strongest hooks on the record, but because of its flanging, glossy, post-rock guitar leads, which are scarce on other tracks but prominent and particularly well-executed here.
The album starts and ends with songs that clock in at over eight minutes, but closer "Hand in Shove" justifies its length with the amount of territory it covers. Its slow crescendos, alongside layered, fuzzy leads, make for a powerful conclusion to an ambitious and versatile record.
(Run For Cover)A fair amount of the record rolls along at a steady pace, but cuts like "I Can Love," and in particular "Reality Tunnel," switch gears and dive headfirst into more punk-oriented territory, Scott Phillips' usual slurring drawl morphing into a yell, the pickup in tempo keeping the overall set varied. Album highlight "Moving Window" stands apart from the other songs, not only because it has the strongest hooks on the record, but because of its flanging, glossy, post-rock guitar leads, which are scarce on other tracks but prominent and particularly well-executed here.
The album starts and ends with songs that clock in at over eight minutes, but closer "Hand in Shove" justifies its length with the amount of territory it covers. Its slow crescendos, alongside layered, fuzzy leads, make for a powerful conclusion to an ambitious and versatile record.