While we haven’t had the opportunity to cover all the singles leading up to Boston/NYC hybrid outfit Eldridge Rodriguez’s latest LP, we’ve definitely covered a LOT. So diving into Atrophy is like a trip down memory lane to an extent with some of its’ 12 tracks appearing as far back as 2021 (“Megalodon” as part of the “Alice Drills” release) and others debuting throughout 2022 (“Have I Gone Too Far”, “Scars in the Vein”) for a familiar affair that’s more focused than ever before.
Pre-pandemic ER release, Slightest of Treason, was an immediate and urgent sounding affair whereas Atrophy, existing in the post-whatever world where the only constant is that nothing is constant, is almost the exact opposite with its’ approach sonically. Still fueled by anxiety and existential dread, Atrophy presents something of a laid back vibe while still excelling in the songwriting department as it chooses to let the songs seep into your consciousness with their unsuspecting denseness instead of bombarding your senses outright.
“A Feeling That Won’t Go Away” is probably the best example of that statement with this opening track sounding like you’re walking into the middle of something. We don’t know a better way to describe it other than it just begins and it’s as if you’re already on page 100 of a 200 page story with narrator Cameron Keiber guiding you through with his voice and guitars which, alongside Dennis and David Grabowski’s respective drum and bass loops and Clayton Keiber’s guitars, continually pulsates and swells causing both comfort and chaos.
“The Strange Things That Happen To People” is almost Interpol-esque capturing that post-9/11 NYC isolationism Rawk so perfectly for this new age of uncertainty as “Without All Your Teeth You Can’t Get Into Heaven” heads to the opposite end of the sonic spectrum and leans into the more Americana aspects of the Eldridge Rodriguez sound. “Dry Atlantis” is a shimmering stomp courtesy of Dennis Grabowski’s steadfast sticks and a plethora of keys and percussion while “The Ghost of Emily Post” is an eerie, haunting affair at its’ onset with Cameron’s barely audible voice slowly rising in the mix to praise some singer/songwriter heroes. “Casual Jesus” is a, dare we say, dance number? Or more disco-like with the way Dennis Grabowski wields the sticks here but still firmly planted in ER’s Post-Rawk foundations with Cameron hearkening back to that yearning croon of The Castrati Menace for a Bee Gees meets Happy Mondays meets Killing Joke bout of hypnotic heaviness set to a steady beat.
“Help Me Help Me” is fueled by a subtle bounce from David Grabowski’s bass playing and Clayton and Cameron’s driving guitar strums with “Black Hearts on His Chest” offering up some more new sounds on this bubbly bringer of what can only be described as Eldridge Rodriguez’s version of Dream Pop. Speaking of new sounds, “Take Yr Time” takes us back to the ’50’s and ’60’s for a final track that sways effortlessly in a world where Marty McFly introduced an unsuspecting world to the beauty of Rawk.
Atrophy arrives through MIdriff Records on September 15th. Stay tuned to all the socials here, here, and here for news on physical releases of the record (CD out first with Deluxe Vinyl coming soon) as well as where you can grab your digital copies the moment the album releases.