May 27, 2012

Pianos Become The Teeth’s last album, Old Pride, was aptly named. But where that disc celebrated the bygone era of ’90s screamo, Pianos’ new full-length, The Lack Long After, savagely forges ahead. As raw and messy as a picked scab, the album lacks in nothing: There are concussive confessionals (“I’ll Be Damned”) and apocalyptic atmosphere pieces (“I’ll Get By”). Yes, there’s a shit-ton of screaming—but frontman Kyle Durfey brings another level of nuance and expressiveness to his scarred-tonsil vocals and contorted poetry. Even hints of Envy-esque post-rock seep into the skeletal “Liquid Courage” and the brittle, bitterly ironic “Such Confidence.” Durfey and crew have plenty to be confident about, though. The Lack Long After isn’t just Pianos’ crowning achievement to date—it’s at the vanguard of post-hardcore’s much-needed renaissance.