“Disasterclass” is a brand new full-length album by Koalra. It’s their seventh studio album since 2019, making them one of the most prolific Portland-based bands ever. The band previously shared a self-titled track, “The Clouds Still Hang On You,” and “Undertow,” three excellent singles that served as an adequate sneak peek into what you might expect from their latest effort. For those who might not know, Koalra loves experimentation, so their music always carries a tastefully assembled collection of several complementary music genres. Perhaps post-rock comes to mind first, but you’ll unquestionably stumble upon many sonic ingredients borrowed from noise rock, art-rock, psych-rock, indie rock, alternative, shoegaze, and dream pop. Their ability to construct an ear-appealing composition where all these qualities shine without overwhelming each other goes beyond comprehension so many times throughout the entire album.
The album commences with “Move,” an excellent number demonstrating what’s Koalra all about. The vocal harmonies take center stage while the guitars shine with marvelous arpeggiated chord progressions and melodies, serving as a perfect backdrop for all the vocal maneuvers. You’ll notice how shoegaze and dream pop found their way into this song, mainly because of the heavy dosages of reverb. The bass guitar plays a significant role with its semi-distorted low-end notes that offer more than necessary support to all the guitar works, while the drummer dictates the groove and pace with moderate rhythmic sequences. It’s such an excellent opening tune that indicates many listening pleasures. “Undertow” continues at the same pace, but with a more in-your-face post-punk sound. This particular track showcases many intricate chord progressions and riffs, accompanied by equally complex basslines. Koalra expands their sonic vocabulary by introducing many art-punk, art-rock, and indie-rock maneuvers into their music, making “Undertow” one of the best songs on the album. You’ll also love anthemic singalongs on the choruses, which may resemble something shoegaze and dream pop bands would eventually record.
“The Hills” slows down the pace a little bit. It’s a calm, soothing, relaxing, ethereal composition empowered by a catchy theme, entirely drenched in rotary, vibrato, or tremolo effects. Once again, the vocals play a significant role besides the guitars by delivering perfectly balanced low, mid, and high notes that decorate every segment. The rhythm section offers heaviness, clarity, and depth through thoughtfully constructed basslines while steady beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics dictate groove and pace. “The Hills” is a straightforward indie rock song decorated with many indie pop and dream pop sonic maneuvers that will force you to repeat this track over again. Koalra returns to its post-punk roots with “With You,” an excellent number that embraces all the fundamental elements of the genre. The clever combination of the eighties, nineties, and contemporary sounds makes this song irresistible. Once again, they combine magnificent themes, leads, melodies, and harmonies with arpeggiated chord progressions while the vividly hearable bass guitar keeps the entire band in the pocket alongside an energetic drumming performance.
“Something Fails” exemplifies Koalra’s ability to break all the rules and shapeshift boundaries. They cleverly combine only the finest qualities of post-punk, shoegaze, dream pop, and ambient music on this one, offering another tremendous listening experience to anyone even remotely interested in these music genres. The guitars resonate with so much power, while the danceable rhythms and punchy basslines offer power and stability. The vocals sound echoic, ethereal, divine, making “Something Fails” another standout. The title track returns to Koalra’s earlier established post-punk sound by offering another colossal slab of ear-appealing melodies, harmonies, and energetic beats, but with more modern post-hardcore, indie rock, and emo elements involved along the way. This number shines with some of the best power pop and dream pop sonic maneuvers you’ll hear this year. “Sticks & Stones” continues at the same pace but with more goth rock elements involved. The noisy, reverby, but utterly melodic leads make this composition even more delightful, while the complex basslines perfectly pair guitars from scratch to finish. The lead vocalist showcases all his abilities but also keeps his articulations in classic post-punk/goth rock waters.
“Brothers” resonates with eighties post-punk sound. Think of Joy Division, Echo And The Bunnymen, New Order, and Siouxie And The Banshees. It will be a treat for anyone who’s into that particular sound, heavily drenched in generous servings of reverb effect. With “Brothers,” Koalra proves they’re a versatile band established by experienced, skillful, talented musicians who know how to write, compose, arrange, record, and produce songs in any genre. “The Clouds Still Hang On You” is an exceptional composition and another standout track from “Disasterclass” that slows down the pace and indicates the closure of this magnificent album. The band solely focuses on the outstanding rhythm section on this one, and you’ll notice how they gradually introduce guitars and vocal lines. “The Clouds Still Hang On You” has all the vital elements of the best post-punk, psych-rock, and shoegaze songs, but Koalra’s somehow uplifted these styles to an entirely new level. They’re fully aware of what works best for them, so they applied all those qualities on this track. “Closer” serves as an adequate closure by delivering a cathartic psychedelic rock showcase that evokes some nostalgia. The band thought about everything while working on this track, so you’ll hear bits and pieces of all the music genres they’re interested in while the primary focus remains on the psych-rock ambiance.
“Disasterclass” is one of the best post-punk albums you’ll hear. Koalra’s ability to blend modern and retro elements of different but complementary music genres goes beyond comprehension many times during the entire album. You should put “Disasterclass” on your radar as soon as possible, because it sounds good from scratch to finish, inviting you to revisit the remainder of their discography. It’s a post-punk masterpiece that deserves your utmost attention. The album is available on vinyl, so head to Koalra’s Bandcamp page for more information about ordering.
Supported via Musosoup.com
#sustainablecurator
Thoughts Words Action 