If you thought you'd seen the last of Deliluh for 2019, think again: Now five months since their May EP, Oath of Intent, the Toronto art-punks are back to present Beneath the Floors. Their second full-length album, Beneath the Floors spirals from energetic, grainy post-punk to echoey and menacing realms, while maintaining enjoyable and near-hypnotic storytelling throughout.
Lyrically, Deliluh create narratives that demand listeners pay full attention to the music in order to absorb it. "Lickspittle: A Nut in the Paste" degrades an ambiguous outsider, with the words "another waste of space" uttered repeatedly over distorted guitar riffs and ominous saxophone. A few tracks later, "Master Keys" encapsulates the fear of a security guard through twangy electric guitar and haunting vocals; the song evolves into something more nuanced and melodic as it picks up, and violin strings are featured behind a steady bass line. Afterwards is "Via 5A," an unsettling voyage following a mysterious young woman and her experiences with Toronto transit.
Fear of a menace that is both lurking in the distance and living within is certainly a recurring theme throughout Beneath the Floors, and Deliluh explore this impending doom through the raw punk energy they channel as much as through their poetic lyrics. "Con Art Inc" feels satisfying as an instrumental, creating an atmosphere with twists and turns, constantly getting into a groove before dipping into the unknown and starting over.
The fact that Deliluh are able to put out what feels like a complete album only five months after their previous release is impressive on its own, but aside from this, the band's fourth effort is contemplative, adventurous and dark. Deliluh return on Beneath the Floors to bring the Toronto alternative punk scene to strange and compelling new places.
(Telephone Explosion)Lyrically, Deliluh create narratives that demand listeners pay full attention to the music in order to absorb it. "Lickspittle: A Nut in the Paste" degrades an ambiguous outsider, with the words "another waste of space" uttered repeatedly over distorted guitar riffs and ominous saxophone. A few tracks later, "Master Keys" encapsulates the fear of a security guard through twangy electric guitar and haunting vocals; the song evolves into something more nuanced and melodic as it picks up, and violin strings are featured behind a steady bass line. Afterwards is "Via 5A," an unsettling voyage following a mysterious young woman and her experiences with Toronto transit.
Fear of a menace that is both lurking in the distance and living within is certainly a recurring theme throughout Beneath the Floors, and Deliluh explore this impending doom through the raw punk energy they channel as much as through their poetic lyrics. "Con Art Inc" feels satisfying as an instrumental, creating an atmosphere with twists and turns, constantly getting into a groove before dipping into the unknown and starting over.
The fact that Deliluh are able to put out what feels like a complete album only five months after their previous release is impressive on its own, but aside from this, the band's fourth effort is contemplative, adventurous and dark. Deliluh return on Beneath the Floors to bring the Toronto alternative punk scene to strange and compelling new places.