What Moon Things - Someone Who Isn't Me (2017)

Formed in the mountain town of New Paltz, NY, What Moon Things is a rock-'n'-droll band that considers itself more of a duo, or production team. Its two permanent members, John Morisi and Jake Harms, co-write all the group’s songs in addition to performing and recording every part on record. They released their eponymous first record in mid-2014, via Hot Grits (based out of Athens, GA), and while riding the wave of the “emo revival” created something all their own - a blend of romantic goth imagery, machine gun-like snare fills and howling guitar noise, all contextualized by the stark landscape of upstate New York. The record picked up a 7.3 album rating from Pitchfork and mentions in outlets such as Noisey, Ad Hoc and Impose. Their latest release is 2017’s Someone Who Isn't Me (via Group Tightener).

Following a loose narrative based around a detached character named “SWIM” the band uses this foil to explore a series of hallways into the character’s mind. They frame this exploration with a sonic landscape that's wildly eclectic - from the darker end of the spectrum in the noise-goth of “Renfield” and blinding heat of “Party Down The Street” to the electro-ambience of “Quit” and “Living Worms.” The album’s preoccupation with death and the darker parts of the human psyche is belied by a sound that’s bleached white, shining, blazing forward. These opposing forces - darkness of the album's subject matter and the vibrancy of its sound and performance - make Someone Who Isn't Me a powerful and subtle piece of art, a maze worth the dive.