Category:
Rock

Try if you like:
Pinback, Polvo, Tortoise

•   Red Gun

Think about my job for moment. People from all over the globe send in music to be reviewed. I get about 25 albums a week and listen to about 5-10 a week. I usually ship off 10 a week to other reviewers. That still leaves me in a horrible deficit. These days it takes something special to catch my ears. I remember The Forms album Icarus from a few years back. Honestly, I do remember it. And I was curious when the new self-titled follow-up hit my desk. The band returned to Chicago to get this album produced by the great Steve Albini. But it seems that there is something different on this album. I can't quite pinpoint it though. Harmonies are amazing on almost every track. Sonically, the Forms have achieved something grander than Icarus. They now have a bit of a Pinback feel for the way that the production swirls all around with wonderfully warm harmonics ("Bones"). One big change here is that the band have opted for very short songs, mostly under 3 minutes in length. 

The band suffers from having a perfectionist front-man, Alex Tween. They spent 50 days in the studio to produce an album that is just 30 minutes in length. That is some meticulous studio time to say the least. Let me be the first to say that it was definitely worth it. The Forms have created an amazing slab of harmonic post-pop music that many should find accessible. The only track that may prove challenging might be "Blue Whale" and the warbly music is overcome by 2-3 listens. Even a track like "Alpha" might come off repetitive on the first or second listen but after that you become hypnotized with the effect.

I just can't tell you how wonderfully fresh and original The Forms sound. They encapsulate so many elements of rock, pop, and post-rock and package it into something wonderfully delicious.