The debut full-length outing from the English indie rock trio,
Runes is a slow-building amalgam of inexorable Motorik beats, staccato guitar licks, and brooding synths that should please fans of post-punk revivalists like
Editors, the
Horrors, and
Future Islands. Hypnotic opener "Legacy Project" unfolds slowly -- the first vocals don't arrive until nearly four minutes in -- patiently setting the table for vocalist/drummer Ben Leverock's even-tempered delivery. Both "Slowly Sinking" and "A Smaller Part" dip into moody
Alt-J territory, albeit with a distinct '80s pop vibe, as does the atmospheric -- and far more dynamic -- closer "Waxen Palm". The claws come out a bit on the burly single "Real Blood," due in large part to Stuart Gardham's very Joey Santiago-esque guitar work --
Doolittle-era
Pixies seems to be a sort of sonic touchstone throughout -- but for the most part, the workmanlike
Runes leans harder on the narcotic end of the post-punk spectrum. There's some solid world-building going on here, but not a ton of innovation. [
Runes was also released on LP.] ~ James Christopher Monger