After their first
full-length record was named “best post-punk debut LP of 2017” by
Post-Punk.com, Equals sees Second Still evolving their sound and progressing
forward into sonically uncharted territory. The four main components of the
band’s signature sound are still there –chorus and delay-heavy guitar, hypnotic
bass grooves, heavyweight drum machine beats, and hauntingly beautiful vocal
melodies– but they have added a couple analogue synthesizers into the arsenal
for Equals, mixing a whole new element into their already uniquely realized
style of post-punk. Commanding synth bass, subtle ambient soundscapes, and
forceful lead synth hooks now supplement and enhance the distinctive sound that
Second Still had already crafted on their first two releases. Lead single
“Opening” picks up where the band left off with last year’s stunning
self-titled debut. The track begins with Ryan Walker’s brief, but ominous
guitar line before launching into a driving onslaught of hard-hitting drum
programming and Alex Hartman’s hypnotic bass. Suki San’s vocals arrive soon
after, dripping with reverb and peppering textural vocal repetition. The track
twists and turns over the course of four and half minutes of cold bliss,
building layers of guitars, staccato bass textures, and tense vocals into a
frenzy, ending just as quickly as it began.
The band also explore a
more pop-orientated and lighter sound on Equals, especially on the A-side,
while the B-side stays true to the band’s more melancholic and gloomy roots.
The EP kicks off with “In Order”, an upbeat and throbbing dance-floor anthem
with a pulsating arpeggiated synth line driving the song forward. Following
that is “Ashes”, a six-minute pop ballad who’s feeling is constantly shifting,
at times being tastefully reserved and atmospheric, while at others totally
unleashed and unhinged. The B-side offers a nice contrast to the pop
sensibilities of side A, with three unrelenting back to back tracks of aggressive
and forceful cold wave outpourings.
In contrast to their debut
LP, Equals was recorded in piecemeal form in various practice spaces and
provisional studios. Engineered, mixed, and produced by Chris King, guitarist
of Cold Showers and mastered by Mike Tierney, Equals marks a more DIY
direction, with no dip in quality or power. Jean Lorenzo, a NYC-based graphic
designer, created the album artwork, which features a front cover with a die
cut design, allowing for select sections of record’s insert to be visible
through the openings.
1. In Order
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