Disappears is made up of some Chicago scene veterans-- Brian Case of garage-rock favorites the Ponys as well as several members of the defunct post-rock band Boas. Their music combines elements of both groups, but it nearly became a casualty of the industry's current financial mess. Disappears were the very last act signed to Touch and Go before the label shut down, and as a result, their debut, Lux, was almost lost in the shuffle. Luckily they were eventually scooped up by Kranky, and though their style differs considerably from the experimental and ambient that label is known for, it seems a good fit for Disappears' dense and foreboding sound.
Disappears' sound is a pared-down, drone-heavy mixture of Velvet Underground scuzz, garage-rock energy, and krautrock propulsion. It may not feel like the most unique approach, but, importantly, the band seems aware of that. Part of Disappears' appeal is that they've chosen to work within a set of stylistic and sonic limitations, where vocals and instrumentation are stripped back to their most essential. It's more about minimalism and mastering the basics than making something brand-new.
It works because Disappears keep things tight; even though there's heaviness and repetition in these tracks, usually they're about three minutes long. "Gone Completely" is a killer opener, a rush of fuzz-laden guitars and simple, severe drumming. On this track and throughout the album, frontman Case's vocals are buried in the mix just right-- his delivery is kind of a Britt Daniel-meets-Iggy Pop sing-speak-- and clouded in the feedback his words sound more powerful, like they're trying to escape. The band mostly finds a comfortable zone and rides it, but each track tweaks the formula just so, and the mood stays jet-black dark throughout.
Things do start to feel a bit same-y toward the end of the record. On "Little Ghost" and "New Cross", it sounds like the band is revisiting ideas they touched on earlier. But when a group is working in such tight confines, some overlap is natural. That the goal here is intentionally limited ultimately works for and against Disappears-- they achieve the sound they want, and it does sound good, but it's hard to think of Lux as much more than that, because the components are so familiar. Still, that they're able to make these well-worn rock tropes feel quite so menacing after all this time is an achievement in its own right.
