“Not as disciplined as my father was.“
Thom Wasluck once bottled up the essence of winter. His one-man band Planning for Burial, first hitting the scene in 2009 with Leaving, delivered a hefty payload in Below the House. Sounding more like one movement than nine distinct tracks, it smothered with crushing snowmageddon-like atmosphere. Now, eight years removed, he returns with It’s Closeness, It’s Easy, the first proper full-length since 2017. If you’ve ever been anywhere in Nowhere, Pennsylvania, these feed on eerily familiar sights.
Below the House excelled in many ways, most notably in the seamless blend of genres across its length. From the heavy, distorted guitars in “Whiskey and Wine” to the post-rock infused “Warmth of You” and the meandering “(Something)“, it stays remarkably consistent aesthetically while also making the rounds stylistically. Down to the very cover art, this album maintains its internal gravitas and thus earned a spot in the rotation during the long wait. Not to say Wasluck hasn’t stayed busy, touring and releasing a number of singles, some live material, and one-offs. However, the most one-to-one comparison and the point of note will be LP to LP.
Where has everyone gone?
I’m just as much to blame.
Getting faded,
Letting you fade.
The key attribute in Below the House, a mix of droning guitar and subtle ambiance, also comes alive on the opener. “You Think” starts with a blitz, blasting through to pause on the verse for a post-rock section. Then the drums pick back up to establish a back-and-forth pattern. Vintage Planning for Burial; immediately familiar yet still projecting the passage of time. Wasluck‘s vocals feel more vulnerable this time around, though incredibly powerful in the shouted sections later in the track.
As a proof of concept, it’s immediately successful and segues seamlessly into “Movement Two”. The guitar’s sound drifts further away on this short number, giving way to an ambient hum. This continues into “(blueberry pop)”, which occupies a similar space as an instrumental. It is a bit of a letdown that there isn’t more going on here, but they do juxtapose well with the busier tracks like the following.
No need to dig.
Everywhere is a hole,
That’ll drag you down,
If you let it.
First single and fourth track “A Flowing Field of Green” sounds much more alive. Similarly pummeling to the opener, it opens with over two minutes of instrumental. At the verse, it plays with the dynamics, buried somewhat in the mix. The whirling guitar leads and glistening bass notes sit just above the constant distorted hum as its foundation. A fit choice for a single and complete package in its own.
“With Your Sunglasses On Like A Ghoul” feels most reminiscent of Below the House. One of the heavier tracks both in tone and in sound, it also features some of the more prominent vocals. A sort of keystone by its spot at the midpoint, Wasluck delivers a notable performance, especially towards its end. It looms large, then melts away into the whispered interlude “Grivo”.
Anchoring the final third, a couplet of seven-minute-long songs starts with “Twenty-Seventh of February”. Framed by twinkling piano boxing in a funeral march, it’s loud and striking before dissolving into distorted noise. Then, “Fresh Flowers For All Time” mops up with buzzing riffs encircling the last vocal track. Equivalent to “Dull Knife“, they stand out as giants, carrying the album to a quiet, ambient close in “Farm Cat, Watching”.
As a package, It’s Closeness, It’s Easy largely lives up to its predecessor. The major beats of a Planning for Burial album mark their presence, and the blend of genre stays just as strong. Drawbacks are limited, though I would note that the interludes feel a bit less essential and aren’t quite as natural a fit in comparison outside of “Grivo”.
With that said, the mission statement of reconciling “the inescapable passage of time” with “the warmth of reconnection” proves well accomplished. Thematically and aesthetically consistent throughout, It’s Closeness, It’s Easy stands out in a crowded 2025.
8/10
It’s Closeness, It’s Easy comes out Friday, May 30th via The Flenser with pre-orders here.