Spirit In The Room - Vinyle Gris Transparent

Description

On their second album Spirit in the Room, Activity is haunted by technology, the loss of loved ones, capitalism, and the relentless march of humanity towards environmental destruction. Produced by Jeff Berner of Psychic TV, the album is an emotional séance that unfolds in a strange haze of menacing trip hop, ambient electronica, and synthesizer-based noise rock. A sense of nostalgia and despair in the face of monumental loss almost instantly emanates from the opening track "Department of Blood," in which singer Travis Johnson sardonicly blames neoliberalism, set against a sinister collage of electronics and a grim drum machine beat. The track "Heaven Chords," inspired by David Berman, was written shortly after the iconic songwriter's death, and the atmospheric piece "Where the Art is Hung" is a haunting lament about the omnipresence of technology and surveillance in the modern world. Spirit in the Room is not an easy listen, but the band's performance and natural chemistry prevent the collection from being weighed down by its own solemnity. For fans of Blonde Redhead, Radiohead, Clinic, Deerhunter, Broadcast.