Guitarist Doug White's new group, following a fractious split with his former bandmates in
Tearwave, perhaps unsurprisingly continues a fair amount of the post-shoegaze spirit of that band, with echo, reverb, and lush guitar textures aplenty. There's also singer Emma Willis providing a similar contrast against the electronic wash and sometimes overload with her keening, swooping voice, and other comparison points can be made. But
Makaras Pen, if building on familiar ground, deserve recommendation for their own qualities, especially in a time when shoegaze and its immediate antecedents have rarely had so much cachet among newer bands. Beginning with the strong "Currents," which alone demonstrates the group's ability to not only perform a song well but ratchet up the performance to more powerful levels as it progresses, the 11-song album sets a consistent mood -- both positive and a bit of a drawback. In the latter case, the band's fine performances and songs tend to blend together, a rich combination of rhythm-heavy songs with shimmering guitar that turns into blasting feedback as Willis soars along that is almost like a too-rich dessert over the course of the album's full length. But individually, songs like "Sacrifice," especially with the sudden punctuation of Dennis Caswell's drumming, and "Falling Deeper," with its lovely chorus and instrumental break, help vary things a touch. Also, "Tightrope" has to get some credit just for the near black metal howling toward the end -- it's an out-of-nowhere addition but works perfectly well in context. ~ Ned Raggett