Autobahn - The Moral Crossing (2017)

A sliver of strings, a squeal of feedback, pulsing drums, sheets of steely guitar and sonorous bass, and a rough, declamatory voice - from these primary components, Leeds, UK quintet AUTOBAHN unfurl their second album, 'The Moral Crossing,' which adds more finesse, dynamic color to the commitment and energy shown on their 2014 debut, 'Dissemble'.

To capture the new sonic details of the band, lead singer and principal songwriter Craig Johnson, guitarists Michael Pedel and Gavin Cobb, bassist Daniel Sleight and drummer Liam Hilton decided to give up their practice room that doubled as a hardcore/punk venue and build their own studio space (in Holbeck, Leeds' red light district) and record it themselves with Craig leading that charge. It took a year to finish from ripping out the existing contents to finishing the album which was then mixed by Ben Greenberg (Uniform, The Men).

Johnson’s lyrics on 'The Moral Crossing' combine to form a whole: the theme of a birth, “but that person had no choice in the decision. And then it’s about the different outcomes that could happen. Which could be glorious or torturous.”

AUTOBAHN have checked their own moral compass, and chosen the hard way, but their music is infused with the joy of exorcising the darkness: to be there, and rise on through.