With the many different avenues that the world of rock has taken in the last few decades, it's all but destined for there to be at least a few styles out there that don't get as much recognition as some of the more realized veins out there for one reason or another even if we're still able to witness a steady stream of efforts and bands coming into its sonic boundaries. When it comes to noise rock, I always can't help but feel like we're only getting the tip of the iceberg for what it has to offer. Only a handful of acts out there in the style have really caught my attention with Chrmr undoubtedly being one of them, and it's in the four years since the band's last release that I couldn't help but feel a kind of withdrawal as I couldn't help but desire more. In no small way, it's with their latest effort that Chrmr does nothing but deliver the goods in every form.

When an album manages to be much more straightforward than anything else, it can be taking almost instantly as being immensely simple just because it doesn't challenge the listener in any sort of way or doesn't really bring anything new to the table, and I cannot stand that. First impressions can mean a lot, but it's the whole picture that must be taken into account for all that it is with "Low in the Glow" an absolutely perfect example of that. At first glance, the fourth release from this New York act doesn't appear to be much more than some slightly well-done garage rock to the untrained ear, but it's once you complete the album that it becomes apparent that Chrmr has much more to offer. It's not just the natural evolution of the band's sound that's been clearly honed into such a refined state given its four years of crafting but it's a much more unashamed embodiment of the band's leanings towards the realm of noise rock as we see the sludge and post-rock elements take a slight step back despite their influence being clear throughout the whole of what's to be had within "Low in the Glow". Even a single step into what's to be had here has enough magnitude to make any unsuspecting listener hooked into the immensely tempered energy that's at play here all the way to the subdued but undeniably potent finale as it makes for a quieter but immensely fitting end to an album with such power and attitude that all come together wondrously to make for a passionate performance that has much more to offer us than merely a higher volume and a couple of riffs.

This is the kind of material that I'm always on the lookout for from the world of noise rock with all that it manages to bring to the table hitting out in all the right categories and checking off all the proper boxes in order to really drill into us just how adept Chrmr is at their craft with the sky truly the limit of what they're capable of. A release that has much more offer than one might initially expect, the very essence of "Low in the Glow" is not something to be taken lightly or underestimated in any capacity.

LISTEN to "Low in the Glow" on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Chrmr on Facebook here.