Preoccupations - Preoccupations

Canadian post-punks Viet Cong have changed their name to Preoccupations and now release a new album. This time, they walked into the studio with the gas gauge near empty, buoyed by one another while the rest of their lives were virtually unrecognizable and rootless. There was no central theme or idea to guide the band's collective cliff jump.

As a result, 'Preoccupations' bears the visceral, personal sound of holding onto some steadiness in the midst of changing everything. Opener 'Anxiety' articulates tension: clattering sounds drift into focus, bouncing and echoing off one another until one bone-shattering moment when the full band strikes at once, moving from something untouchable to get to something deeply felt. 'Monotony' moves at a narcoleptic pace by Preoccupations' standards, but snaps to attention to make its point, that "this repetition's killing you // it's killing everyone." 'Stimulation' opens with a snarl and hurls itself forward at what feels like a million bpm, pausing for one mortal moment of relief before barreling onward. 'Degraded' surprises, with something like a traditional structure and an almost pop-leaning melody to its chorus, twisting the bigness of Preoccupations' music to sideswipe the clear, finite smallness of its subjects and events.

And the 11-minute-long 'Memory' is the album's keystone, with an intimate narrative and a truly timeless post-punk center. There's love piercing through the iciness here, fighting its way forward in each of the song's distinct sections. As always, there is something crystalline to what they've made, a blast of cold air in a burning hot place. All this adds up to 'Preoccupations': a singular, bracing collection that proves what's punishing can also be soothing, everything can change without disrupting your compass. Your best year can be your worst year at the same time. Whatever sends you flying can also help you land.