‘Deep Below’ is the fourth album from Dutch post-punks Rats On Rafts, an effort that strips away all superfluous elements and boils the band down to its dark, raw, constituent parts. It’s apparent from the first moment that they want to engage in ’80s-indebted, gothic minimalism and boy, do they commit to the bit.
‘Japanese Medicine’ shows both the best and worst of the album. Its simple lyrics invoke wider cultural truths in a relatable way; they are “playing [their] favourite records and drinking the night away,” indulging the limits of melancholy malaise, but it feels wistful and capital ‘R’ Romantic, rather than the shadowy, po-faced demeanour the band are trying to put on. “Even though you didn’t have a lot / you’d always share with me” – despite the demons, it’s a tale of resilience, of the power of community through adversity. However, as with many of these songs there’s an over-egging of delay and echo effects on the vocals, and the mix is awfully murky. You’re mysterious and gloomy, we get it, but sometimes it’s a little much.
And this is an issue for the central portion of the record. Not all of the lyrics speak to much beyond the repetition of surface-level themes like decay, apathy, lethargy etc. and there’s a sense that the cohesion of atmosphere is often more important than creating something that sticks in the mind once a song is finished.
The jaunty interplay of synths and guitar on ‘Nature Breaks’ jolts the album back to life on the penultimate song, injecting at least a hint of hopefulness into the otherwise greywashing of abject despair. The nods toward new wave are welcome and add texture to the ’80s palette the band are devoted to – it’s a moment of ‘Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me’ on an album otherwise worshipping at the altar of ‘Seventeen Seconds’.
Opening song ‘Afterworld’ speaks to a sense of loyalty and honour, of remaining in place despite insurmountable challenges. But is it simply inertia? Often it’s easier to maintain the status quo than it is to act. Rats On Rafts are undoubtedly at their best when trying to push their sound forward into novel and interesting new shapes. ‘Deep Below’ is not a bad album, but the dedication to one mode hobbles them from the outset. Let’s hope this is the necessary razing of foundations before they begin the process of rebuilding next time around.
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