Formal Growth In The Desert

This album has been added to 2 public lists:

• 

  2023

  James

  Protomartyr sound less paranoid here than on earlier records, but no less intense. Joe Casey’s lyrics remain full of existential dread, dry humor, and sharp observation, though the album allows more vulnerability and warmth to emerge underneath the cynicism. The band’s rhythms are tight and muscular without becoming rigid, especially on tracks like “Elimination Dances” and “Polacrilex Kid.” The guitars create tension through texture and repetition rather than sheer aggression. The album feels reflective without losing urgency. It’s a subtle evolution of the band’s sound rather than a reinvention.

• 

  The Best of 2023

  Samuel Vaz

  we gotta have post punk on this list 4/5