While it's difficult for me to remember exactly when I first heard Husbandry, I'm confident they are one of the most original bands I've heard in a long time. A Port in a Storm, their second full-length release, is set for release on the 13th of September. While I consistently aim to listen to a wide variety of music, I was particularly pleased to have moments of surprise as I listened to A Port in a Storm. With their eclectic sound, Husbandry brings to my mind bands like Candiria, Oxbow, and Ken Mode.
The eight songs that are found on the new album make for an immediately interesting listening experience; in this age of streaming music and immediacy taking priority, this is a welcome and cohesive album from beginning to end. Listening to "Velvet Noose" as I'm currently writing, vocal work by Carina Zachary and bassist Arnau Bosc melds together in a way not often heard in heavy music. Their voices seem to naturally lend to the desired smoothness that I feel is common to experience with more angular music.
As much as I could go on about the unique or different aspects of Husbandry's music, I'm also glad to say that their music is very much accessible in its own right, to the degree that I believe this album can easily find a wide-ranging audience. Not only can it find a wide-ranging audience but, in my opinion, it very clearly deserves a wide-ranging audience.
Some bands fit the mold, so to speak, of heavy music just fine and fit very well in the limited community that is presented; Husbandry is thankfully not one of those bands.
As much as I'd love to see a tour with Candiria and Husbandry, I'd also be very intrigued to see them play with bands like Here Lies Man that pulls from genres like afro-beat and psych rock or Algiers that reference blues and soul as much as punk or noise rock.
Throughout the record, I'm taken aback at the musical precision on display. The instrumental interplay between guitarist Jordan Usatch, Arnau Bosc, and drummer Andrew Gottlieb is both dizzying and impressive. The ability to incorporate part that could be heard as hooks in pop music fluidly alongside caustic moments signature to hardcore and noise is not often done this well. Along with the previously mentioned track "Velvet Noose," "Your Weight in Gold," and "Smile with Teeth" were also particular favorites of mine.
For those in the New York area, you can celebrate the release of A Port in a Storm and see Husbandry at Gold Sounds in Brooklyn on the 27th of September. In the meantime, I'll be impatiently waiting to either make it back to NYC or hope that Husbandry comes out to the West Coast.
Get It
- Bandcamp (Vinyl, CD, mp3)
Tagged: husbandry
