Post-hardcore titans Touché Amoré still have more to say. Somehow it's already been fifteen years since the five-piece from L.A. made their presence known with …To the Beat of a Dead Horse, their debut LP, and since that release, the band has continued to one up their previous outputs. The success of the band led them to release subsequent albums on Deathwish and Epitaph records, two labels with a history of backing some of the most seminal punk and heavy records over the last few decades. Now, the group has partnered with Rise Records to release their sixth full-length record (and their first in four years) Spiral in a Straight Line, a polished collection of songs that hit on the band's strengths, and expand on the themes of doubt, loss and self-criticism that have resonated throughout Touché's entire discography.
Following up 2020's Lament, Spiral is a showcase of the band's portfolio of sounds, which play out across the entire album. The lead riff on opener "Nobody's" is reminiscent of the post-hardcore bands of the early 2010s, like mewithoutYou and Title Fight, but with vocalist Jeremy Bolm's familiar blend of rasp and melody. Echoing the ruminations from Stage Four, in which he explored grieving thoroughly (specifically in relation to the loss of his mother to cancer), Bolm understands the importance of persistence in the face of adversity, which is itself, persistent; "We'll grieve in a forward direction / Neck and neck, and side by side / As I fixate on the road ahead / It just winds, and winds and winds."
Track two arrives, and the blistering version of Touché Amoré arrives with it. "Disasters" is an absolute ripper, with drummer Elliot Babin delivering a barreling punk beat that creates a sense of urgency that juxtaposes the peaks and valleys of "Nobody's." The song's frantic pace, paired with Bolm's anxious lyrics make for a deadly combo, and elevate "Disasters" as one of the standout moments on Spiral. For long-time fans of Touché, "Disasters" is far from the only pit-inducing effort, with "Mezzanine" and "Finalist" bringing the ferociousness that's been there since day one.
The musicianship from the entire unit is on full display, a demonstration of talent that's grown over the course of the band's career. The quiet, drawn-out build on "Subversion (Brand New Love)" (featuring Dinosaur Jr.'s Lou Barlow) brings a dynamic to the album that was sometimes missing on earlier releases.
Julien Baker, who guested on Stage Four, also lends her talents to album closer "Goodbye for Now," a bittersweet ballad that mourns and celebrates memories come and gone, with an emphasis on moving forward. Bolm's lyrics have always been a strength, and on Spiral, he revisits familiar themes with a measured perspective that comes with growing older. Embracing pain, loss and grief is a crucial part of processing, but so is showing appreciation and finding positivity in personal growth that stems from those situations.
Spiral in a Straight Line is an album that represents the logical next step for a band who have honed in on what works — not reinventing the wheel but finding subtle ways to improve on what Touché Amoré is and what they can be. As they continue forward, their trajectory is sure to be anything but straight.