Underlined Passages – ‘Landfill Indie’ [Album Review]

Baltimore’s Underlined Passages’ new album Landfill Indie is, according to the band, “a bit of a sleeper protest record. Reacting to the fickle dismissiveness of modern indie rock critics and the relegation of contemporary alternative music to a million subcategories and enclaves.”

Produced by Frank Marchand, who has worked with Bob Mould, War on Drugs, and The Thermals, the sound of Landfill Indie is tinted with shoegaze surfaces that reveal savours of emotive nostalgia.

Made up of songwriter Michael Nestor, Roger Stewart (drums), and Joe Markus (bass), Underlined Passages has shared the stage with Explosions in the Sky, The Stills, Now It’s Overhead, The Octopus Project, Matt Pond PA, Joan as Police Woman, Grandaddy, Q and not U, Laura Burhenn, Laura Viers, and Karate.

Encompassing nine tracks, entry points include the opener, “brythe,” with its gleaming, shoegazey guitars and dreamy vocals. There’s a wonderful, alluring brightness to the melody, which descends to softer, more melodic colours.

A personal favourite because of its low-slung, gliding, prog-rock motion, “brkn” conjures up suggestions of Alan Parsons crossed with the Deftones, akin to a sonic kaleidoscopic effect slowly unfolding.

Underlined Passages ‘Landfill Indie’ album artwork

“erydy” alters the shoegaze matrix of the first four tracks, transferring to flavours of pop-rock tinged with hints of yacht-rock. Creamy, gentle vocals imbue the lyrics with drifting contentment. A cool drum shuffle introduces “mtavrs,” flowing into a soft rock melody composed of platinum, jangly colours topped by smooth, see-through, sighing vocals. The sensual undulation of the tune gives it a luscious, mesmerizing influence.

“sndnia” juxtaposes Pink Floyd-like, sailing vocals against edgy, hazy guitars. The combination of moody guitars alongside floating vocals shouldn’t work, yet it does, creating an alluring, two-fold, hypnotic movement.

At the same time, loud and quiet, on Landfill Indie, Underlined Passages indulges a variety of impulses with effortless aplomb.

Landfill Indie Track Listing:

1. brythe
2. brkn
3. mnglx
4. sldr
5. erydy
6. mtavrs
7. hgh Wycombe
8. sndnia
9. lkbkwds

Run Time: 28:22
Release Date: November 15, 2024
Record Label: Mint 400 Records