Unstable Shapes – Delicate Machinery

Formed in 2019, Unstable Shapes are from Noise-Rock's spiritual homeland, Minneapolis. The 'mini apple' of the US mid-west is responsible for the legendary Amphetamine Reptile label whose roster included The Cows, Surgery, Jesus Lizard, God Bullies, Killdozer etc. It also spawned Learning Curve Records who the 'Shapes are signed to.

A quintet the band are comprised of Andrew Cahak – Vocals, Mitch Gustafson – Guitar, Kevin Hurley (The Great Went) – Bass, Ryan Jaroscak – Guitar and James Taylor (Laamar) on Drums. Delicate Machinery marks their debut full-length release which according to their first Avenue profile brings with it the promise of 'noisy songs about disappointment and romance' and 'post-punk paeans to self-discovery and self-deception'. Sounds good to me.

'Prince Kissinger' harks back to the 90s and a less divisive time when people were more accepting of alternate viewpoints whether that be political or otherwise. Musically you find yourself in angular Post-Hardcore territory and bands such as Unwound and Fugazi. The music is delivered with a hell of a lot of verve and energy which makes it all the more exciting and enticing, a superb start. 'Glass Ladder' is delivered in a impassioned and sincere manner, sharing similarities to the Emo genre, though thankfully of the kind performed by Sunny Day Real Estate. and NOT the makeup adorned dross of Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance et al. There's an emotional depth and integrity on display for one, profoundly gut-wretching. 'Feral Joy' has the potential to go down as a classic, with its Drive Like Jehu Math-Rocky vibes, the Vocal intonations not overly dissimilar to that of John Reis while 'Herzog Blues' with its quiet-loud dynamic feels positively anthemic, the lyrical refrains of “hahaha” a particular highlight. In fact the latter recalls Flipper and their song of the same name, and one would be tempted to state that its a subtle nod to the San Francisco Noise-Punk legends. Packed with rich melodies, this track is an absolute standout for me.

'I Survived The Cave' which marks the album's halfway point, is scratchy Post-Punk ala Gang of Four. The track also reminds one of the minimalism displayed by The Cure on albums such as Three Imaginary Boys and the gloom of Seventeen Seconds. An infectious delight to listen to. In Greek tradition a sphinx was a merciless being who would kill and eat beings who failed to solve her riddle. 'Local Sphinx' seemingly references such a being, some poor unfortunate in the band presumably suffering at the hands of it. Musically its muscular Alternative Rock with hints of Sonic Youth's discordant post-No Wave, think Daydream Nation era, all that's missing are Kim Gordon's Vocals.

I don't know when Indie Rock became a byword for sensitive, jangly singer-songwriter fare, but when I think of the genre to me songs like 'Flesh + Blood + Stars' and bands like Built to Spill come to mind. 'Sunlight' contains hints of early Screaming Trees Punk-Psych with some of the bone-crushing riffage reminiscent of say, Helmet, I ain't complain'. 'You've Been Selected To Become Bones' demonstrates a fondness for Dischord Record groups such as Lungfish, that band's sophisticated Emo/Post-Hardcore especially apparent. 'Jaguar Jaws' recalls Slowdive particularly the lovely reverb laden, Shoegaze-esque moments to be had making for a satisfactorily dreamy conclusion to the album.

Despite the multitude of musical comparisons in my review, Unstable Shapes manage to draw upon these without sounding like a tragic 90's nostalgic act at any point. Excellent performances and songwriting are abundant throughout giving one a taster for what will hopefully be a long-lasting musical career.