X: The Godless Void and Other Stories CD

Five years on from the release of their previous record, Austinrsquos beloved artrock heroes hellipAnd You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Deadnbspreturn with their tenth album ndash X The Godless Void and Other Stories.Expansive yet concise, this album nods to the bandrsquos traditional touchstones ndash the feral scree ofnbspSonic Youth, Rushrsquos symphonic anthems, the textured bliss of My Bloody Valentine ndash while morphing effortlessly into newer forms. The synthorchestral swell of curtainraiser ldquoOpening Crescendoesrdquo recallsnbspHans ZimmernbspandnbspTangerine Dream, before ldquoAll Who Wanderrdquo descends from guitarsoaked high drama into simmering, murky psych.Next up, ldquoSomething Like Thisrdquo offers nods to the ethereal songcraft that defined the sound of the legendary 4AD label, before everything kicks in at full pelt with ldquoInto The Godless Voidrdquo, as noisy and thrilling an existential anthem as the band have ever put their name to. And this is just the first four songshellipWork on X The Godless Void and Other Stories began in earnest in 2018, after Keely returned to the bandrsquos hometown of Austin following five years in Cambodia.nbspWith a new lineup having recently toured the 20th anniversary of Madonna, theyrsquore also reverted to the live format of their earlier years, with Reece and Keely alternating between drums and frontman duties ndash a musical partnership that dates back to their high school days. Appropriately, it all feels fresh.