I've been quite enjoying Lillian—the latest full-length from Minneapolis, MN quartet The Rope—for the past few weeks now. Theirs is a sleek and contemporary take on the goth-leaning side of post-punk akin to classics such as Bauhaus, The Sisters of Mercy, etc. A style that remains underrepresented in the grand scheme of my collection, but I'm always eager to discover more, so I'm grateful that the band reached out.
Packed with a number of top-shelf cuts—the murky hooks of "Eyes" or "Given to the Gun," the bright and emotive flourishes of "Gravity" or "Again," etc.—I'm going with "Terminus" as the standout here because it combines some of the album's most memorable bass-centric energy with a slightly wider range of textures that teeter toward a more subtly aggressive edge. Tough call, though. The 10 tracks provide a solid listen all the way through.
I still need to find some time to peruse the group's earlier releases and make some physical purchases. Speaking of which, you can pre-order Lillian on vinyl or CD right now. Both are slated to hit the streets next month. (It's also on Spotify, if you're content to stream...)
