4 out of 5

Label: 54-40 or Fight!

Produced by: Scott Adamson

I am utterly depressed by the discrepancy between this album and Abilene’s debut: how this album lands on a perfect mix of slocore and Discord punk and outré jazz, all with the same base elements of vocalist Alex Dunham’s scream / speak vocals and raw guitar sound; juxtaposed against Craig Ackerman’s warm, lopping bass and the stuttering pummel of Scott Adamson’s drums… effected in such a way that you absolutely have no trouble recognizing this as the same band… and yet, what didn’t click before, clicks now. Normally, this allows me to go back and listen to a “lesser” album and hear things I’d previously overlooked, but that’s not happening here, after literal years of attempts. Does it really all come down to the addition of Fred Erskine’s trumpet?

Yes, it very well might.

Abilene’s previous album was not without some solid tracks, but it filled up most of its runtime with zero punch, and aimlessness. That pops up on Twin Guns also, and at stretches – the somewhat acoustic Fitch tip-toeing toward the open-ended Ghost Writer – but it’s much easier to forgive here because it feels more tactical; lulls between extreme highs of post- / experimental rock that take the loosely hardcore vibe of the group and sharpen its teeth, pushing things towards free jazz, then slowed back to slocore, and building and releasing excitingly and rather unpredictably, very much led by Erskine’s skittery trumpet. That’s “led” in a group way, though, where everyone is sort of playing off of one another; it’s the presence of the horn that seems to encourage that, though, putting everyone in mind of genres outside the screamy, guitar-distorty kind. It’s not that this type of arrangement is new, especially considering other acts Fred’s been involved with, but this is an especially sharp take on it, making it frustrating that we didn’t get to hear the group iterate on this further; we’re left with one great album and one rather underwhelming one.