ALBUM REVIEW: You Know What They Mean – Bent Knee

If the phrase BENT KNEE were ever to be entered into a thesaurus, it would likely find itself nestled amongst nouns such as ‘avarde-garde’, ‘ethereal’ and ‘outlandish’. The Boston collective have always been synonymous with the bizarre, and with their new full length album set to shape their future, few will be surprised to hear the same level of surrealism that we have grown to love and expect from the band. You Know What They Mean shows a natural progression from their critically acclaimed 2017 full length Land Animal – which saw them skyrocket into the limelight – typical of a band hell bent on moving forwards as opposed to slipping into any kind of comfort zone. 

But of course here we are talking about a band on their fifth album; a group that has proven more than competent at feeling their way around a recording studio. This outing might take their flair for the remarkable to whole new territory, but the BENT KNEE spirit is still lodged firmly in place, and their unpredictable nature remains their focal point. Lansing opens up a record rife with blind spots, consisting of recorded studio chatter, before Bone Rage kicks off the album proper. Instantly chunky, destructive guitar grinds into a ROYAL BLOOD-esq. riff, constructing a din planted in the heavier side of the band’s spectrum. The unequivocal vocals of Courtney Swain add to their signature, as she wails and croons in equal measure atop the maelstrom.

Give Us The Gold is less of an onslaught, taking a more art-rock approach than anything else. Courtney continues to be as remarkable as ever (as if there were any doubt), and as guitars effectively slide in and out of action between clever drum fills, she remains one of the standout elements to the BENT KNEE formula. As we plunge into Hold Me In, time signatures continue to be challenged and ingenuity prevails. Strange sonic backdrops lay down a canvas for a funky riff that weaves in and out of the track. Courtney continues to push her vocal boundaries, and the bassline becomes pleasingly noticeable, tying together the track and applying a finishing touch.

The eccentricity is elevated further with Egg Replacer, where texture is blended tastefully into impetuous guitar, ultimately culminating in an auspicious, wandering track. The prototypical nature of the band’s music has always felt fresh, and tracks like Cradle Of Rocks and lovemenot feel as indigenous as ever. The whole thing screams BENT KNEE. Piano drives through the body of Bird Song, a relatively short track that makes use of ambience and a more reserved vocal performance. Layered singing builds a sound evocative of actual bird song, and is a welcome reprieve from the craziness by which it is book ended.

Catch Light comprises of harsh sounds contrasted against a jazzy bassline, and again Courtney proves her magician-like ability to bleed emotion. For fear of following an obvious path, BENT KNEE has become something extraordinary, and with the final three tracks sat at over 5-minutes apiece, there is plenty of time to soak up their brilliance and marvel at the musicianship on display. Each song feels like it’s own unique piece of art, and each note seems almost personified as raw human emotion. 

Following an album as strong as Land Animal was always going to be a tough ask, and the risk BENT KNEE took was to evolve, rather than becoming stuck in a rut. They have put their necks on the line, and quite frankly, the result is quite impressive. Yet again they present to us an album that seeps originality. Whether or not it is deemed as successful as past releases remains to be seen, but as a standalone entity, it is a wonder to behold.

Rating: 8/10

You Know What They Mean is set for release on October 11th via InsideOut Music.

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