ALBUM REVIEW: Here At The Ashram – Laces Out
There wasn’t loads of fanfare around the release of LACES OUT’s Roger Podacter EP back in July, but those who heard and loved it, as we did here at Distorted Sound, will be very happy to see the Orange County, New York trio back so soon with their debut full-length Here At The Ashram. The artwork alone appears to confirm that this release will pick up where the EP left off, which is exactly what happens as the band whistle through nine tracks of angular and noisy post-hardcore in a taut 29 minutes.
As before, LACES OUT’s sound harks back quite a bit to the 90s post-hardcore scene. There aren’t many bands who wouldn’t want to sound like FUGAZI given half the chance, and the fact that these guys can capture something fairly similar to the DC legends’ sense of creative urgency should be seen as a pretty big tick here. The production is spot on too, with just enough of a rawness and a looseness that makes this feel very much like the work of three creative minds responding and reacting to one another in a live setting, rather than something pieced together by committee on a computer.
Crucial to this is the band’s apparent refusal to stuff Here At The Ashram with extra layers or overdubs. Even with their relatively limited sonic arsenal, LACES OUT never struggle for size or power, or indeed for harmonic intricacy. With drummer Steve DeLucia providing the backbone, guitarist Edmund Ciarfella and bassist Ray Wasnieski often veer into different directions, the former usually going for something a little more angular and wiry, and the latter for a more grounded rumble. Again, that might not be hugely original, but the end result isn’t wildly common in today’s scene, so it still feels fresh enough.
It also helps that Ciarfella has an absolutely killer bellow in his lungs, as we first really notice about halfway through second track Chemicals where the song’s slacker alt rock feel gives way to something altogether more forceful for an early and arresting highlight. This might well sum up the general feel of the album, with eruptions of striking intensity balanced out by slightly moodier and more hypnotic moments. As such, while most tracks seem to have a similar endgame, there is just enough variation within the template that Here At The Ashram never struggles for attention over its sensibly tight runtime. The band also keep some of their best stuff for the final third, particularly as the steadier pace and swaggering riffs of seventh track Jacob stand in sharp and memorable contrast to the immediately more raucous Shooter which follows.
Ultimately then, this is a proper post-hardcore thrill ride that doesn’t waste its time on frills or fancies and instead delivers nine tracks where each feels just as urgent and vital as any other. Hopefully the hype will build a bit more around these guys because they really are an exciting prospect, but even if it doesn’t then we could at least have a solid little cult band on our hands.
Rating: 8/10
Here At The Ashram is set for release on November 18th via Nefarious Industries.
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