Continuing the early 2020s hot streak they kicked off with the
Hologram EP,
A Place to Bury Strangers deliver one of their most interesting and intentional albums in
See Through You. As always, loud is what they do better than just about anyone else, but their sixth album's twisted sonics make some of their previous work seem muted. On the wildly galloping noise-gaze-punk of "Hold on Tight," brilliant production and mixing balances the heroic doses of effects at the heart of the band's work in the studio with the raw immediacy of their famed live performances. More than ever, though, the band deploys its volume tactfully; on songs such as "My Head Is Bleeding," taut dynamic shifts and jagged arpeggios make an impact without numbing listeners' eardrums. The album's sonics also leave plenty of room to appreciate the band's increasingly eloquent songwriting.
A Place to Bury Strangers continue to occupy a singular emotional space within their genre; they've never shied away from anger or bitterness, and they state those feelings plainly instead of couching them in metaphors. The disgust dripping off
Oliver Ackermann's voice when he snarls "I'm so bored and tired of you" on "Someone's Mouth Again" seems to bleed into his queasy solos, and on "Broken," he adds some cheek to its synth pop-tinged self-loathing when he sighs that he's "oh so depressed." This sense of fun feels fresh and extends to the playful homages elsewhere on
See Through You. "Let's See Each Other" is a double, possibly even triple entendre about enjoying someone completely that boasts a chorus with the shout-along power of
Love and Rockets' "No New Tale to Tell" or even
Warrant's "Cherry Pie." "Anyone But You" is a pop punk love song,
APBTS style, complete with what sounds like a choir of infatuated buzzsaws. The band channels
New Order's insistent hi-hats and high-pitched basslines on "Love Reaches Out," which might be
Ackermann and company's most empathetic song to date. Moments like this highlight how much he's grown as a singer over the years, as do his vocals on "I Disappear When You're Near," where the nuances in his deadpan delivery speak volumes. Even though
A Place to Bury Strangers have been bringing the noise back to shoegaze and post-punk for years, they're still finding new forms of expression. That they can create a career peak like
See Through You two decades after forming makes them all the more inspiring. ~ Heather Phares
![The Lonesome Crowded West [Bonus Track]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0767981144627_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "The Lonesome Crowded West [Bonus Track]")
![All Is Dream [Deluxe Edition]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/5013929108608_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "All Is Dream [Deluxe Edition]")
