NEW ALBUM: Disappears - Irreal
Disclaimer: Disappears’ 3rd full length album Pre Language is one of my all time favorite albums and I am a huge fan of Brian Case’s voice and style of singing. Same goes for Jonathan van Herik’s way of playing guitar. I’ve seen Disappears playing live twice so far and immensely loved the live performames! So it certainly does not come as a surprise, that I was eagerly awaiting Disappear’s 5th studio album Irreal. Being a German native speaker, “irreal” is immediately understandable for me but I guess that most native English speakers don’t really have a problem with that “unreal” title either.
Turns out, the album is pretty aptly name – yet there’s nothing “pretty” about it. The sound is at times as unreal and outer-worldly as it can be! I should have seen it coming though, with their August 2013 released 4th album Era: Disappears definitely got darker (again) and more experimental.
Irreal makes me feel uncomfortable at times. While I admire all that the four from Chicago squeeze out of their instruments, it’s hard to swallow at first. The “pop times”, if there ever were any, of Disappears are definitely over with Irreal! However, this is not necessarily a bad thing, after all “pop” doesn’t mean nothing other than “popular” and there’s definitely a time and a place for music that’s a bit more challenging and not immediately catchy and lovable!
The maybe “easiest” and most accessible track on this album, and something that can be labeled “song” is “Halcyon Days”.
Having spent more time with the album, I can honestly say that it grew on me. It’s an amazing piece of music and I am looking forward to seeing Disappears live come February. They characterize Irreal on their Facebook page as follows:
“Friends – behold, ‘Irreal’ our fifth album, coming 1.19.15 on Kranky. Produced with John Congleton at Electrical Audio, it’s another dark trip down the rabbit hole.”
And now, enjoy another track from the “trip down the rabbit hole” with the video for Another Thought which was filmed at Europe’s largest plain Waterfall, the so called Rhine Waterfalls near Schaffhausen, Switzerland. The video was directed by the filmmaker and friend of the band Maximilian Rossner. Off to the journey for Another Thought // Another Memory:
Irreal – Track List
1 – Integration 6:38
2 – I _ O 5:15
3 – Another thought 4:18
4 – Irreal 7:11
5 – Oud 3:26
6 – Halcyon Days 6:30
7 – Mist Rites 5:29
8 – Navigating the Void 6:26