TURF ASCENSION

With this, the Minneapolis band has, in my opinion, taken a step backwards. The music is far less melodic, less quirky-fun, and less engaging than anything that I've heard from them before. The music is just more straightforward and vapid than before, as exemplified in the extremes of the two songs "Everything" and "Refuse". The former is trying to be melodic, simple and accessible but ultimately ends up just being monotonous and boring while the latter song, though definitely more in line with the quality and style of their previous work, is trying to be technically complex, clever, quirky, and relevant but fails to ever engage the listener because of its weak melodies and confusing twists and shifts that feel as if they're more for the sake of shifting and turning than they are for the effect of providing some constructive concrete structure for us to comprehend and maneuver within. Try as I might--over and over, in fact--there is nothing on this album that draws me back for repeated listening--whereas with 2017's Edit Peptide and their original debut release way back in 2001, Such Fine Particles in the Universe, there is so much joy, fun, and memorable music pulling me back time and again. (Both albums have earned--and sustained--firm places in my top 20 Album lists for their respective years.) Turf Ascension is a big disappointment for a much anticipated album and highly respected band. Perhaps they just didn't have the time and ability to truly focus and put their hearts into this one as they seemed to for their previous two.