I’ve always believed that the emotional strength of a band could depend on how clearly defined their songs are. A precise structure, a polished sound, and hyper clean musicianship will, more often than not, take the sting out of the emotional punch. Mess, on the other hand, is where it’s at. Frantic urgency, walls of sound verging on chaotic and certain seamlessness, on the other hand, give songs a challenging opacity as well as gut-wrenching power. On their debut album ‘Loom’, Frameworks display all of these characteristics and build on that strong foundation with impressive versatility, a fluid sense of genre and utmost commitment blowing everything that stands in front of them. ‘Loom’ goes above and beyond anything that might’ve been expected of the band following their two decent EPs, and it’s very likely they’ll only continue to garner more critical and popular acclaim from hereon.
And yet ‘Loom’ starts off with deceptive simplicity and quiet. Short intro ‘Disquiet’, in which you hear the recognizable messy sounds of a band about to start rehearsal, bleeds into title track ‘Loom’ with energetic suddenness. That second track showcases exactly what I mean by “genre fluidity”. The vocal attack undoubtedly says hardcore, as do the short song lengths and a fair bit of the abrasive musicianship, but Frameworks repeatedly elude the listener with sprouts of melody (such as ‘Loom’’s opening guitar soar, for example), the slightest hints of jazz in certain instances, and unexpectedly tasteful riff work. In fact, if I were to pin-point what draws me in most, it’s the discernible sense that every structure, every instrument, every change is tone is the result of meticulous attention. Limited power chord progressions are substituted for atmospheric climaxes (‘Mutual Collision’), staccato riffage (‘Splinters’), country licks (‘Bright And New’), and many, many more surprising turns.
If anything, Frameworks appear to be particularly strong in the finale area. On some of the more straightforward, but no less masterfully executed, tracks like as ‘True Wealth’, the listener can always count on something unusual to close things off (here a soft and ambient ending). ‘Familiar Haze’ is another track that strays off the beaten path entirely (although I guess it wouldn’t be untowards to compare it to some of Defeater’s more experimental offerings). Operating at a measured pace, the track is a genuine fire storm, slowly building up volume at first and suddenly combusting into a swirl of brutal force and heavyweight emotionality. It’s a real joy to find a band so obviously comfortable and confident in their produce, even on those instances where they take the most risks. Basically, everything pays off on ‘Loom’.
Some will argue that that we’re still firmly rooted in a decaying genre, but I’d argue 2014 is looking more and more like a potential candidate for a fine vintage label. Hardcore is perhaps truly finding its feet outside of its comfort zone, and Frameworks are leading the line with class, authority and authentic originality. What we have hear, quite simply, is a potential album of the year. Nobody should waste any more time not listening to this. Thank us later.
5/5
’Loom’ by Frameworks is out now on Topshelf Records.
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Words by James Berclaz-Lewis (@swissbearclaw)
