There are certain responsibilities to being a successful pop-rock band for almost twenty years (“pop” meaning sticking close to popular conventions). Audiences will expect a sound that remains familiar, yet reflects the polished songwriting befitting of an act with six records under their collective belt.
In The Land Of is one of those albums that start as “been here before” but soon transition into “wait a minute” territory. Clever, deceptively small production details are absolutely everywhere in this record. They succeed in transcending the familiar soundscapes of indie rock and bringing forward modern-day Wintersleep’s own identity.
Favouritism first! “Beneficiary” is the third track in the record and the one I find myself going back to the most. “All my days I wake up open my eyes, beneficiary of a genocide. Drive to work all day, go to sleep at night. Beneficiary of a genocide.” There is a special place in my heart for song lyrics that leverage long and unusual words. “Beneficiary” has five syllables nicely placed in a catchy hook and gets bonus points for making the title. Additionally, the lyrics simply lay out the common anxieties of living a normal life in a society we find more and more to be product of a history of exploitation. This is a great, timely song.
The first cut, “Surrender”, sets the pace for the record in its opening guitar riff. What we have here is relatively simple harmonic structures tricked out with cool rhythm play and strong melodies. The vocals fit the style but also succeed in adding colour, and this personality is reinforced by the record’s sound. Echo effects are perhaps less lush than expected, and a lot of the space seems to be created with slap-backs reminiscent of the tape and plate equipment of old.
“Forest Fire” is a fairly standard 4-chord pop song, but the floor tom hits on the upbeat and stereo panning effects on the hats do a lot to freshen things up. “Never Let You Go” is an optimistic summer anthem with a great hook in 6/8 meter, with the type of accessible sound that keeps a band grounded. Like something from the neighbourhood.
Every track belongs in the album, but some efforts pay off better than others. I found less to break down in tracks like “Into The Shape Of My Heart”, which I suspect falls victim of its own catchiness.
There’s plenty of foot-stomping and head-bobbing to be had with In The Land Of, but also enough for music and production enthusiasts to dig out. I can definitely see it in my road-trip soundtrack.