S.C.U.M's first full-length is a significant step forward from their 2008 debut EP, Visions Arise, which lingered in the gothy shadows of post-punk revivalism. On
Again into Eyes, they streamline their approach, recalling not only the late-‘80s and early-‘90s bands that carried post-punk out to its logical (or bitter) end the first time around, but droning and driving contemporaries like
Film School and labelmates
A Place to Bury Strangers.
S.C.U.M deliver full-bore rock early on in the album with “Faith Unfolds” and “Days Untrue,” but despite the volume, their songs aren’t especially obvious; there’s something subtle and whispery about them, making their louder songs more like an enveloping fog than a wall of sound. Singer
Thomas Cohen has a sibilant sneer that adds mystery to “Amber Hands” and the fittingly spooky and tribal “Summon the Sound.”
Again into Eyes also recalls
the Horrors after their moody post-punk makeover on
Primary Colours, and the fact that bassist Huw Webb is the brother of
Horrors keyboardist Spider Webb only emphasizes those similarities. Like
the Horrors, “Sentinal Bloom” shows that
S.C.U.M are equally at home with electronic and organic sounds, while “Requiem” proves they’re skilled at making a three-minute song seem far more epic. The preponderance of softer sounds at the end of the album, particularly the narcotic ballad “Paris,” suggests that
S.C.U.M are still exploring exactly where they want to go with their music. On
Again into Eyes, they take listeners down a fairly well-traveled musical road, but it’s still an enjoyable journey. ~ Heather Phares