“Your eyes burn in ways they don’t know,”
A decade into its existence, Narrow Head finds itself on stronger footing. Signed to Run for Cover Records in 2020, they dropped their label debut and sophomore album 12th House Rock to moderate praise. Now signed to Church Road Records and powered by three guitar players amidst the four-person lineup, the potential for a more developed sound looms large.
The silence grows,
I loathe the moment,
Inside your head, I find it soothing.
Indeed, the style we end up hearing drips with 90s alternative and shoegaze influence. From the jump, it warrants an unavoidable comparison to Chrome Neon Jesus-era Teenage Wrist. Opener “The Real” and the subsequent title track make this connection immediately. Certainly not an exact match, and not the most unique sound to begin with, but any fans of that record should find enjoyment here. The vocals are a bit more sleepy, and the guitars a bit more fuzzy, but the components are there.
When you wake up so softly,
Have you had enough?
All alone you stay there without a sound.
Next single “Caroline” brings forth the same dreamy, grunge-like atmosphere. The vocals here sit almost on top of the vague cloud of instrumentation beneath, a common theme for the album. A decent riff sticks its head out just high enough on the chorus to catch some air. Not much more to report.
Final single and penultimate track “Gearhead” set a bit of a harder edge. A few moments across the record, like the opening riff, sound properly evil and provide decent juxtaposition to the light vocals. It devolves into breakdown at about the halfway mark, with some surprisingly convincing uncleans popping in and out.
Unfortunately, these moments of intrigue just appear and disappear on Moments of Clarity. If you seek effective background music to zone out to, they perform just fine and the listen is certainly enjoyable. With that being said, this album breaks little new ground with its nostalgic shoegazing so set expectations accordingly.
6.5/10
Narrow Head – Moments of Clarity is out this Friday, February 10 via Church Road Records and can be pre-ordered here.