General Lee

While France might not be particularly well known for its post-hardcore, they have assembled one extremely fine export in General Lee. Their third full-length, Raiders of the Evil Eye, is a passionate, possessive record that goes for the throat from its opening seconds. The focus is unquestionably on the triumvirate of guitars that provide both the engine and texture of General Lee's sound, the disparate tones woven together in a dense, reverberating braid, swooping around each other in counterpoint or drawing tightly together to cinch a sonic knot. Raiders of the Evil Eye isn't just about manhandling the listener, however; it doesn't just want to take, it wants you to give in. There is a pleading element to "Medusa Howls with the Wolves" that walks the line between begging and coercion, often swinging back and forth between the two. "Alone With Everybody" is the highlight; it's a powerful melancholy track that relies on the echoing distance of the relatively sparse drumming and palpable yearning in the strings to draw the listener in. This is a late-flowering gem.