Volume X

About

Sheer persistence and a stubborn fidelity to their collective muse have made Trans Am one of electro-rock’s most enduring units. <i>Volume X</i> serves as a summation of what the trio have accomplished over the past two decades, juxtaposing and combining the various elements of their protean sound. As before, there’s a tension in Trans Am’s work that plays ironic detachment against emotional engagement, leaving listeners both tickled and intrigued. Then again, the brooding trudge of “Anthropocene,” the lacerating bounce of “K Street,” and the sci-fi swirl of “Ice Storm” are compelling enough to set aside all questions of intent. For all the android-like beats and glacial textures here, tracks like the funkified “Reevaluations” and the bone-shaking “Megastorm” generate an impressive amount of body heat. “Backlash” is an especially visceral eruption, propelled by screaming volleys of electric guitar. Trans Am display their richest colors in atmospheric pieces like “Night Shift” and “I’ll Never” (the latter a dreamy, Vocoder-ized ballad). The closing number, “Insufficiently Breathless,” achieves a stately grandeur that signals Trans Am’s desire to touch the heart as well as the mind.

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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