Straw Man Army – Earthworks

Wednesday, November 20, 2024 | Records | Art Punk, Post Punk, Postcore

After their phenomenal debut LP in 2020 and a comparatively grim, more difficult to grasp second one in 2022, this New York duo has now delivered what i think is not hyperbolic in the slightest to call their masterpiece. There’s an absolutely singular vision at work here moving within – yet easily transcending – the bounds of contemporary post punk and postcore, the messaging as unapologetically political as it’s emotional and introspective, disillusioned but never bereft of a glimmer of hope… In short, reflecting the emotional toll it takes to walk open-eyed through this era of humankind facing a whole litany of existential crises, feeling systemically ill-equipped for the challenge and thus unable to find a workable, sustainable way forward while large chunks of western societies appear to be in utter denial and global elites all too willing to jeopardize any hope of an endurable future for the sake of short-term wealth accumulation. Bold political statements are a dime a dozen these days though and i doubt anybody would be listening if it weren’t for the absolute fucking brilliance of their music, which takes a thickly layered, intricate and elegant approach in line with what we’ve already heard on their previous records but which they’re working to utter perfection on this one. To me, it feels like the spirit of first-wave so-called emocore – still unburdened by the tropes, cliches and conventions established in later years – transported into the present age with a one-of-a-kind personal voice and very little baggage or preconceptions about what punk rock can mean and do in 2024.