In terms of their approach, Memphis'
Aquarian Blood
have shown an impressive commitment to letting their music evolve and take on new shapes. In terms of underlying message, they've maintained a tight focus. On their first album, 2017's
Last Nite in Paradise
, their electro-shocked punk rock sounded like the product of an acid trip that was something less than good, and even though 2019's
A Love That Leads to War
traded the electric assault of the first LP for a moody acoustic approach, it still sounded curiously ominous, like the background score to an evening of expressive bad vibes. The band's third full-length, 2021's
Bending the Golden Hour
, takes the middle-of-the-night whisper of
and adds back just a dash of the more expansive attack of the debut, giving the music a richer set of dynamics and sonic texture. Coupled with the (usually) unison vocals of group leaders
J.B. Horrell
and
Laurel Horrell
, this gives
the comforting, placid but addled sound of a cult singing around the campfire, calm in the knowledge that peace and salvation is on the horizon once that bloody apocalypse finally happens. The lyrics on
aren't particularly disturbing in themselves, but the wobbly commitment of
J.B.
Laurel
's delivery and the minor-key simplicity of the performances brings the moody undercurrents of the songs into focus, and "Spray Them All," "Bending Time," and "Probable Gods" are powerful in their quiet authority and sense of purpose. There's something honestly beautiful in
, and
have given us something that's striking and very special, though you might not want to hear your neighbor playing it several times a day for months on end. ~ Mark Deming