Enumclaw – ‘Home In Another Life’ album review: sincere alternative rock
THE SKINNY: Alternative rock has been a world-famous genre for nearly four decades now. Given the significance of its most essential bands, the giant artistic leaps they enacted, and the tsunami of pretenders they prompted, it can be hard to stand out in such an overpopulated environment. Yet, since breaking out, Tacoma’s Enumclaw have certainly forced their way through the din of the masses. Their second album, Home In Another Life, confirms this, as they refine their tact, and get highly candid at points.
Considering the band has only been around since 2021 and are already on their second studio length – following on from 2022’s debut, Save The Baby – it shows just how much ground they have already covered. Due to such early triumphs, they are now on Run for Cover Records, the home to some of the best guitar music around, the perfect space to keep pushing on. Enumclaw’s second album sees frontman Aramis Johnson produce another collection of compelling lyrics and vocal deliveries, with the band backing him up with crunching guitars, potent melodies and narcotic grooves. They hit differently this time out, though.
The album is undoubtedly the most sincere opus Enumclaw has crafted yet. Johnson discusses a host of topics in earnest, such as his influential Uncle Mike, who has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, personal growth and the deflating feeling of masturbation. Complete with frankness and wry humour, it makes for a charming listen, as his earthy, often raw delivery adds another dimension to the words’ meaning.
Blending alt-rock, shoegaze and indie, there’s a lot to dive into on Home In Another Life, which will undoubtedly be lapped up by those so inclined. While one obvious critique would be that it could be more varied, with some tracks blending into one in musicality and vocal style, the highlights are enough to save it from any significant trashing. The songwriting and sentiment are strong enough on their own, and there are several cogent pointers to where the quartet might head next.
For fans of: Dinosaur Jr, Paris, Texas and long night drives into the country.
A concluding comment from your local alt-rock nerd: “This is very good. I wish the guitars would bulk up a little bit, though; it’s what J Mascis would want.”
Home in Another Life track-by-track:
Release Date: August 30th | Producer: Enumclaw & Ben Zaidi | Label: Run for Cover Records
‘I’m Scared I’ll End Up All Alone’: A robust way to open. Opening with searing feedback and captivating strums, the band kick through the mix, as they effectively counterbalance their alt-rock sonic proclivities with one of Johnson’s most fervent lyrical palettes and vocal melodies to date. [4/5]
‘Not Just Yet’: The best song on the album. Comprised of a driving rhythm, fuzzy guitars and Johnson’s candid lyrics about his Uncle Mike being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers, a lot makes it stand out. This includes boasting the resonant chorus of “This can’t be true” and questioning why life can’t stay golden in light of the passage of time. The track typifies everything that makes the quartet so great. [4.5/5]
‘Sink’: While the lyrics on the record are prone to being tender, here the music is more melancholy than it has been so far. Taken with the lyrics, wistful acoustic strums counterbalanced by the crunch of the electrics and a cacophonous solo make this a slice of alternative rock perfect for the contemporary era. [3.5/5]
‘Spots’: A return to the more driving side of Enumclaw, this song features an atmospheric bassline, as Johnson provides an equally as compelling performance, with the guitars suitably darker than anywhere else on the album. This kind of track holds a room’s entire focus live; it just has that palpable energy. [3.5/5]
‘I Still Feel Bad About Masturbation’: Props to this one for having the most jocular title on the record, which is straight out of Rivers Cuomo’s Pinkerton playbook. As the Weezer frontman has done for years, Johnson constructs another deeply infectious chorus as the vocals and expressive, bending guitars dovetail. [3.5/5]
‘Haven’t Seen The Family In A While, I’m Sorry’: A spacier, more heady composition, with a baggy-evoking beat and bassline, this track shows yet another side to Enumclaw, as they make good on the influence of a handful of 1990s rock’s greats. The shoegaze-leaning burst in the climax is delightful. [4/5]
‘Grocery Store’: The album takes another sincere turn here, with the chorus-drenched guitars, and Johnson’s singing creating exactly the kind of sonic treat that would be perfect for a teen movie, toeing the line between attitude and feel, nostalgically tapping into something buried within. [3.5/5]
‘Change’: “This time I want change,” Johnson sings before the band kicks into gear, and the frontman asks existential questions about self-improvement. His bold lyrics rest perfectly on the churning six-strings and hypnotic rhythms, driving themselves deep into the cerebrum. His vocals is particularly stirring here. [3.5/5]
‘Fall Came Too Soon And Now I Wanna Throw Up’: Opening with a grooving but menacing bassline and chiming guitars, you might think us in 2006, but this is 2024, and this is Enumclaw, not some pinstripe-suited band long forgotten about. It’s also one of the best tracks on the record and filled with attitude, resting on the clank of the bass and gritty guitar tone. The chorus is fantastic. [4/5]
‘This Light Of Mine’: By this point, it is clear that one of Enumclaw’s greatest strengths is Johnson’s earthy delivery, which brings the earnest spirit of his lyrics to life. Here, he weaves again between hardness and tenderness, with the band weaponising this transition. It might be a simple move, but it’s undoubtedly effective. [3.5/5]
‘I Want Somethings For Myself’: Given that the album is one of the best alternative rock albums of 2024, it makes spiritual sense that it should close with an introspective, lo-fi closer, perched on the power of Johnson’s delivery and the chiming notes of the guitar. It exemplifies the frontman’s ability as a songwriter and the musical tradition from which the band emerge. [3.5/5]
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