Though three-fourths of the members of Past Lives are from the scorched-earth screamo/punk-metal Blood Brothers, there's nothing on the group's debut LP that offers a hint to their background. The EP that preceded it, Strange Symmetry, had some more cathartic moments-- as well as singer Jordan Blilie's hoarse, tantrum-in-the-toy-aisle screaming-- but Tapestry of Webs is a clean break from the past.
Say what you will about their former band, but by the end of their career, Blood Brothers were anything but one-note. That they've changed gears isn't necessarily a surprise; that they stay in one gear and explore its possibilities is, however. Where the Blood Brothers were a study in extremes, this band and album are marked by quiet tension and gradual builds. The instrumentation has changed as well-- trumpets and woodwinds pop up on several tracks.
The group has clearly reconsidered its approach, but nowhere is it more apparent than with the Blilie's singing. Only in the most frayed and frantic moments of songs like "K Hole" or "Hospital White" does he approach the screech of his other projects. Instead he sings on a low, stable register throughout, reaching for actual notes-- and if you've never heard his earlier projects, his voice might take a little getting used to.
For those who are familiar with Blilie, part of what makes this record interesting is hearing his voice in a new context and how he adapts to it. The same extends to the rest of the band: Sometimes the group's subtlety builds into a soaring and assured melody, as it does in "Paralyzer" or the near-strut of "Vanishing Twin". There's often a tangible tension, as with "Past Lives", which grows progressively more ominous without ever offering release, or melodic, dub-inflected "Deep in the Valley" and "Aerosol Bouquet". Occasionally the band falls into a stilted and somewhat awkward lurch, like on the riff of "Don't Let the Ashes Fill Your Eyes", though even that has a striking and strangely lush chorus with layered vocal harmonies.
The group does retain a raw, live in-the-room sound and feel, but above all the debut feels like a more "mature" record-- without any of the boring connotations the word "mature" usually implies when talking about career growth. After most of their peers have fallen by the wayside or have lost themselves to indulgence (looking at you, former members of At the Drive-In), Tapestry of Webs is an encouraging, welcome surprise-- a clear sign that the musicians involved are pushing themselves and searching for something new.
