Gainesville, FL unit Frameworks take melodic hardcore to new heights with their sophomore LP by expanding their sonic palette into fresh and unexpected areas. Combining glossy, shimmering post-rock-isms and brooding screamo snippets, Smother is a well-executed set of songs from front to back.
Opener "Fear Of Missing Out" and "Marathon" employ driving, swinging riffs in their choruses and keep the overall tone varied, both being atmospheric departures from the more layered, airy cuts. The title track dips into darker, more eerie territory with its reverb-soaked leads, and album highlight "Peculiar People" finds strength in its breakneck pacing, coupled with its dreamy, optimistic melodic pocket.
Frameworks have taken some risks with Smother, stepping out of the realm of what is expected from a band like theirs, and it's paid off immensely. Although they pull their influences from a number of sources, they manage to avoid sounding disjointed, instead combining it all into a cohesive, formidable whole.
(Deathwish Inc.)Opener "Fear Of Missing Out" and "Marathon" employ driving, swinging riffs in their choruses and keep the overall tone varied, both being atmospheric departures from the more layered, airy cuts. The title track dips into darker, more eerie territory with its reverb-soaked leads, and album highlight "Peculiar People" finds strength in its breakneck pacing, coupled with its dreamy, optimistic melodic pocket.
Frameworks have taken some risks with Smother, stepping out of the realm of what is expected from a band like theirs, and it's paid off immensely. Although they pull their influences from a number of sources, they manage to avoid sounding disjointed, instead combining it all into a cohesive, formidable whole.