Amazingly, Belfast's ASIWYFA have been thrashing since 2005 – eight years of tricky time signatures, Venn diagram math rock, propulsive post-rock, and whatever else you want to call it tomorrow. There's no doubting the band's ambitions or integrity; there's also little doubt that this album (their third) sees the musicians stretch out like never before. Occasionally, they pull a muscle:
Rats on Rock
sounds as if they've drafted in drums from Trinidad, to not much useful effect;
Ka Ba Ta Bo Da Ka
features the band's welcome pulverising welded onto Malian blues guitar lines and the nonsense guttural track title;
Stay Golden
sounds like a cast- off from an edgier Disney movie. Thankfully, superb tracks such as
Eunoia, Trails
and
Young Brave Minds
provide unshakeable ballast. sargenthouse.com/ and_so_i_watch_you_from_afar
Download:
Eunoia, Trails, Young Brave Minds