Charlottefield - What Are Friends For

Charlottefield’s latest record What Are Friends For may have been one of the first new records I heard at the beginning of the year. I don’t really know why I’ve put off writing about it on the blog up until now, but in between then and now I’ve slowly grown to enjoy this album even more than I did when I first heard it. So maybe it all works out in the long run, and to cover up my laziness even further, it DID just come out here in the US very recently so I am not really THAT behind.

The bands latest disc is something I think most fans of post-hardcore/math-rock will appreciate whole heartedly. Charlottefield are definitely cruising down that pathway, although judging by the sounds on the album they aren’t necessarily happy about it. With vocals from Thomas Howell that are often being barked and shouted in a strained frenzy while a rising tension of guitar and bass swirl behind him as if they are constantly trying to catch up to him. The lead track “Beatings” is actually probably one of the more aggressive tracks on the album, which actually works quite nicely as it is followed up by multiple songs that more or less serve as a better representation of Charlottefield’s sound. While it may seem highly familiar some, it’s partly the execution that makes What Are Friends For such a strong album and one that shouldn’t be dismissed as just another math-rock album. There are plenty of great and challenging arrangements throughout the album and if that isn’t enough, the consistently amazing bass lines should at least intrigue some out there. Charlottefield most definitely are quite skilled at being able to almost perfectly marry technical skill to beautiful melodies and that’s more than a lot of bands trying their hand at the same thing can say these days.

Charlottefield – Pacifically [MP3]

For those looking to pick this record up, continue to check at Fat Cat.