Whether we’re being assaulted with a fast and furious riff in “Loaded Gun” or making contact with jazzy melodies retooled for the rock lifestyle in “Cumulous,” there’s a physical presence to the music in Glorybots’ new record Invisible that no one who listens to its eleven songs will escape.
Trying to evade the riptide of rhythm in “Blepharospasm” is about as easy as avoiding the raw emotionality that comes seeping through the stereo from all angles in “Suicide Hotline,” and while some efforts are softer than others (“Far Away” versus “Radiate,” per say), nothing feels unfocused or out of place in this LP. Invisible is admittedly so eclectic that it seemingly sees Glorybots going out of their way to dispel the idea of being a part of some larger Seattle music syndicate, but that’s part of the reason why I think it’s such a sexy listen. Here, songwriter Jalal Andre offers melodic noise for a new era in the alternative rock story, and for all who would say that his battle is a lost cause in 2020, I challenge you to go through this record and resist the punishing sonic passion that lies from one beat to the next.
I was initially rather surprised at the amount of groove-oriented material in Invisible, with tracks like “Radiate,” “Me vs You” and “Loaded Gun” immediately sticking out to me as being more vitality-based than anything in Glorybots’ first album. Even with this being the case, there’s still plenty of sludgy indulgence to be found in songs like the understated “Repent” and “Caged and Confused,” both of which couple the aforementioned grooving with a consistently excessive bass part that works exceptionally well for the style of material being presented to us here.
Andre’s vocal is supremely commanding in the soft “London Breeze,” “Wrong” and brooding “Suicide Hotline,” and if there’s anything I’d like to see him expand on more in future efforts, it’s this element within his sound. He’s such a talented singer, and in Invisible we’re able to get a better look at just how profound a harmony he can issue in the right set of circumstances.
If this is on par with what Glorybots is going to be producing on a regular basis in the 2020s, the songwriting eminence of one Jalal Andre shouldn’t be questioned any more than it already has been. Invisible is a beautifully cryptic album that feels like a college radio-friendly hybrid of Anti-Patton Thomas and Without You I’m Nothing, and even if it boasts a rather drastic step away from the parameters of Dark Alien Pop, I think it’s a strong move on Andre’s part any way you look at it.
This is a perfect cocktail for millennials with an interest in the heavier side of the lo-fi movement in late 2010’s alternative rock, and whether you’re a disciple of the indie circuit or just an occasional fan of quality underground music, I’d highly recommend these eleven songs for your examination before the month of August has come to an end.
