POST LIFE “Living Can Wait” C30
(Papermade Records)




“Indie” is the genre this album is listed under, and accurately so. A more accurate genre name would be "Indie With A Brewing Proclivity Towards Success." I determined this after giving the tape two listens. In my first listen I wasn’t sure what to think. Could it be? Am I really listening to grade-A indie material? In my second listen I found out.

Warehauz is as pure as it is raw. It's garnished by the super abstract lyrics it presents. It was a good idea making this the first track on the album; it makes the listener aware that they've popped in a pretty great tape to listen to.

23 reminisces of happier songs from days of yore. And by "yore", I refer to the early 2000s. You won't be able to help singing along to the "high–HIGH-er, high–HIGH-er, now~"s wherever they appear. Embrace these catchy rhythms. Give in.

The lack of lyrics in Serotonin paints a far prettier picture than the track would with any more words. Seretonin? More like... play for Conan... it's a stretch, but that's the way you're headed.

Tabasco is as spicy a track as you imagine. The shift to a male vocalist was not a bad decision at all; I laud it. He's a tasty, tasty speaker. This band burns with potential. 

Prey is the little ditty you heard as a child, the one they played briefly as television transitions on some channels. It's nostalgic. It's anti-prophetic. It's art.

NextGen is my favorite track on the album, and here’s why: the "singing seamstress", Brianna, uses a voice different from the fairy-tale-esque high pitched whisper-scream tone she uses in the rest of the tracks; the result is a marvelous one, especially because the song itself was so damn catchy! 

Dissolve makes apparent the potential in the vocalist’s throat. Just take a moment to admire the highs and lows of her singing. It's more than decent. It's more than noticeable.

And last, but not least, the song Post Life; it describes its namesake band perfectly. I just really really really like it. It reminds me of the Strokes. I picture them as the Strokes of an alternate universe, with a Brianna Casablancas for the lead singer. That’s the best way for me to describe the album in general, really. This is the second coming of one of the greatest indie bands ever to have existed. There are myriad gaps that the Strokes skipped over in their conquest of the indie rock genre, and Post Life seeks to fill them with their own music.

This is the kind of band whose future you stay wary of. These folks–– Brianna, Michael, Erik, and Greg–– showed a ton of potential in this album. Only their sophomore album will tell where they get. I have very high hopes for this band. I wish you luck, Post Life. I’m certainly glad to own your tape. It’s a damn good album. :')

So now let’s do the maths.

Two points for reminding me of my favorite band, another for a sweet album cover, and take a point for every member. Actually, yeah, sure, have another point. I’ll take it from Holy Hills.

Your album scored an 8/10 on my scale. That's remarkable. You're remarkable.


https://postlifela.bandcamp.com/
https://papermademusic.bandcamp.com/

-- Mansoor Syed



P.S. High expectations. Don't disappoint.