In a sentence:
The accomplished ‘Auto-Pain’ sees Chicago post-punk outfit Deeper discover the ability to express themselves with an even greater range of emotions and sounds.
Moving away from their wall-of-guitar approach on their first, self-titled album release, Chicago-based three piece Deeper have widened their musical scope to allow a bit of space into their music. Bass-driven grooves embellished with short guitar runs and ambient tones adorn the new Auto-Pain, an album seemingly intent on exploring the parameters of self-deprecation. Guitarist and singer Nic Gohl’s desperate, sometimes manic delivery punctuates each track with a sense of yearning, though this album is by no means just a collection of nihilistic punk tunes.
Cheery and, in places, uplifting harmonic progressions are driven into the groove by the bass and guitar work on tracks like ‘Willing’ and ‘Spray Paint’, and the airy yet cutting tones of the guitar hold the listener’s hand through a sonic landscape that brings to mind pastel colours and express a feeling of floating. Yet, where there is light there must be dark, and Deeper make sure to cover all bases. The harsher, more brooding songs on Auto-Pain, such as ‘Helena’s Flowers’ and ‘Warm’, convey a little more angst and scepticism, thanks to the intense establishment of the minor chord progression and saturated vocal stabs delivered with a sense of fury and disbelief.
The theme of Auto-Pain is clear; an observation of the psychological knots a person can find themselves trapped in, and the self-doubt a person may feel about their role in their current mental or physical state. With sonic themes of isolation and distance, the space created on this album is certainly a step forward in Deeper’s ability to express themselves artistically and emotionally, and it proves that they know how to choose the right sounds to do so. (7/10) (Jacob Kendrew)
Listen to Auto-Pain by Deeper here via Spotify, and tell us what you think below!
Tags: Auto-Pain, Deeper, Drew McBride, Fire Talk, Jacob Kendrew, Mike Clawson, Shiraz Bhatti
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