’…Not only a huge step forwards into exciting territory for Careful Gaze, but quite simply, a bloody good song…’
A strong contender for the best hidden gem of 2022 is probably ‘WRATH LIKE FLOWERS UPON MY BROW’ by Minneapolis post-hardcore outfit Careful Gaze. A beautiful body of work that embraces love, loss, and who you are between the two, it felt like the pinnacle of this band’s work until that point. Followed up with three solid singles, it felt as though Careful Gaze had an established identity they would progress forwards with. But if you thought you knew Careful Gaze, think again.
‘JACKFRUIT’ is a blistering sonic onslaught that feels ready to self-combust at any given moment; the heaviest Careful Gaze have ever been, yet sounding totally natural for them. An intro of distorted sonic fuzz erupts into huge guitar riffs that slam into jagged percussion, barely retaining any form of song structure. Sometimes it feels as though the track shatters into walls of pure thunderous noise, torn apart by its own burgeoning rage.
Vocalist Gabriel Reasoner showcases their finest screams to date, dripping with a vicious visceral aggression as they explore both their upper and lower register of unclean vocals. Queer rage sits next to religious guilt, Reasoner torn between a past that now wants them dead, and a present that lacks a reason to live. It almost verges on something you might expect from Knocked Loose, as opposed to the usually melodic driven material this band crafts.
The band are no stranger to rap features; ‘Default Days’, a track from their previous album ‘WRATH LIKE FLOWERS UPON MY BROW’ featured a great closing verse from OKnice. However, on ‘JACKFRUIT’, it feels truly like they’ve embraced the rap feature, with mory of the band killusonline delivering an absolutely killer verse after the mid point of the track. Even the way the bass surges forth in the mix to a more prominent position gives the whole affair a brilliantly menacing and effortlessly slick feeling.
Some tracks find a place in your rotation for a little while before naturally departing. Some, however, already feel like they’ll be high up on an end of year list of best tracks. ‘JACKFRUIT’ is absolutely the latter. Not only a huge step forwards into exciting territory for Careful Gaze, but quite simply. a bloody good song.
For Fans Of: Knocked Loose, Loathe, Thrown, Bring Me The Horizon, Graphic Nature
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Careful Gaze
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