Microwave – ‘Let’s Start Degeneracy’ album review: A divisive new chapter with some green shoots
THE SKINNY: After an extended absence, Atlanta’s Microwave have returned. Their last album, Death Is a Warm Blanket, arrived in 2019 in a world much different from the one we currently inhabit. With the pandemic and other immense geopolitical issues wreaking havoc since then, it’s no surprise that the trio have changed markedly in this span. This shift comes with its positive and negative byproducts.
Ayahuasca trips in Peru, the pandemic slowly fading, and a desire to be better and happier by shaking off unhealthy behaviours have fuelled a record that will undoubtedly divide longtime fans. Some will celebrate this new space they inhabit, courtesy of slick production and fresh textures, while others will rue the fact that they have moved far away from what was a potent blend of emo, post-hardcore and alternative rock.
A variation on their typically anthemic chorus remains, but the heaviness has been stripped back. This time, Nathan Hardy, Timothy Pittard and Tyler Hill have stretched their sonic blueprint into previously untried realms that would have been unthinkable in the beginning, touching on everything from Christian hymns to psychedelia and a spot of ambient. In areas where it’s so different from what came before, that bar Hardy’s unique singing, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a different outfit altogether.
I find myself in the camp where this record doesn’t hit, perhaps as it should. I’ve never been one for the overly American whiny vocals, and on Let’s Start Degeneracy, they are particularly egregious in several tracks. This feeling materialises despite the countercultural origins of the title and the actual drug-taking that fuelled this artistic sea change. Initially, when taken together, these elements suggest that you’re about to hear something entirely off the beaten track. Unfortunately, though, it is not true for much of the record when you actually play it.
While there are undoubtedly moments of sheer brilliance, the music veers into being too poppy for its own good on numerous occasions after years of the group tentatively toying with this area. This means that the sharp production and junctures when the band does something genuinely new and exciting are unfortunately counterbalanced by an apparent propensity for vanilla pop rock fusions instead of really going for it and seeing the album represent wholesale change à la Talk Talk or other masters of complete creative metamorphosis.
For fans of: Skinny jeans, Vans with laces, and stretchers in 2024.
A concluding comment from your local post-punk: “Eurgh, this is so lame, I’d rather listen to My Chemical Romance. Mind if I pinch some of your American Spirit?”
Let’s Start Degeneracy track by track:
Release Date: April 26th | Producer: Nathan Hardy | Label: Pure Noise Records
‘Portals’: A stirring take on the Christian hymn ‘Softly and Tenderly’, the opener is an intriguing way to commence Let’s Start Degeneracy and leaves you wondering what journey they have in store, with ambient synths and naturalistic textures converging brilliantly. [4/5]
‘Ferrari’: Picking up from where the opener left, we hear Hardy’s vocals at last, as an electronic take on the spirit of a rousing hymn continues with the melancholy suspended, as the mesh of electronic palettes envelops in the background. It slowly builds, with the varied elements creating an interesting experience in light of the nature of the band’s earlier work. However, it’s very pop-orientated. [2/5]
‘Circling The Drain’: A crisp guitar line, catchy vocal melody and groove finally emerge, and now Microwave have arrived. The verses are catchy and have crossover appeal, which is then counterbalanced by the crunching anthemic chorus, which is tinged with a strong hint of regret. If you can get away from the pop-punk scent, this one’s enjoyable, featuring a host of interesting aspects in the mix, too, from bells to sliding riffs evoking Weezer. [3/5]
‘Bored of Being Sad’: As is the case with much of the album, I like the music, but the vocals kill it for me. This feeling is distilled here. The chorus’s central progression and chiming riff are enjoyable as well as the general tone of the guitars, bass and snap of the drums, but the pop-punk essence of the vocals undoes that, with the chorus far too whiny. [2/5]
‘Straw Hat’: The oohs and acoustic guitars are a welcome surprise at the onset of this one, which stands out as one of the best on the record. A lot is going on for what initially appears to be a relatively simple song, with Microwave adding a different spin on their blueprint. One of its triumphs is how it successfully toys with veering off the rails and general dissonance while remaining coherent, reflecting how the band have pushed themselves on the new record. The spacey keyboard is exquisite. [3.5/5]
‘LSD’: Perhaps the number with the most mainstream appeal on the record, complete with a simple but assertive beat, a vocal melody extracted straight from the realm of bedroom pop, a cheesy riff and lyrics such as “I wanna wrap around and break you like a glowstick”, for most rock fans, this will be too cheesy, regardless of the sincere sentiment. [1/5]
‘Omni’: Sharing the name of the celebrated Atlanta post-punk outfit; unfortunately, this track doesn’t do anything interesting like its namesake. It is another chart-friendly number that won’t appeal to Microwave’s longtime fans or earn them many new ones, save for the throwback to third-wave emo in the bridge towards the end. Generally, it’s far too cloying. [1.5/5]
‘Strangers’: Now, this is a song where Microwave do something genuinely compelling. There’s one hell of a riff, an attitude-laden, almost Beck-like beat, the best bassline on the album, and Hardy’s whispered form of delivery, which create a tangible atmosphere when added to the thoughtful textures that pop in and out of the mix. It’s really good, and I’d like to see the band explore this realm further. It does something new, rather than the cringe rock of the earlier junctures. [4.5/5]
‘Concertito’: A brief piece of experimental with a beautiful piano line and a sample of what appears to be someone singing in the shower behind it; this is another piercing track that does something genuinely different once more. [4/5]
‘Huperzine Dreams’: An astute way to close the album by seamlessly binding Microwave’s influences, it’s a slice of heady electro-pop. It points to the fact that they should maybe ditch the forgettable guitar music found on the record for something more unique and, indeed, affecting. Once again, the piano work is utterly glistening. [3/5]
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