American Football (LP4)

When the idea of recording a fourth album came up (for the second time), American Football knew things were going to get darker. After touring a year’s worth of sold-out 25th Anniversary shows around the world and releasing a covers album (featuring Iron and Wine, Ethel Cain, Blondshell and more), the quartet of Mike & Nate Kinsella, Steve Lamos, and Steve Holmes linked up with producer/engineer Sonny Diperri (My Bloody Valentine, M83, Kurt Vile) to record what would become their most substantial record to date. Blending atmospheric textures with emotive, post-rock style catharsis, LP4 is unlike anything American Football have recorded thus far, yet it fits right in with their evolving and beautiful catalog. Recorded during a 10-day retreat at Panoramic House in Stinson Beach, CA, LP4 finds the band intentionally walking into the abyss, themes of divorce, upheaval, and uncertainty are at the forefront. Yet the band sounds more engaged and legitimized than ever before. Opening track “Man Overboard” showcases each member’s strengths: the unmatched style and jazz swing of Lamos’ drumming, the lyrical vulnerability and multi-instrumental mastery of both Kinsellas, and Holmes’ signature guitar work, all swirling together like a shoegaze tornado as the guitars and bass surge into something twisted and warped. Other standouts like “Blood On My Blood” showcase the band’s unique use of alternating time signatures, while “Bad Moons” (the longest track the band has ever recorded) includes some of Kinsella’s most intense lyrics yet. The album also features guest vocals from Turnstile’s Brendan Yates (“No Feeling”), Wisp (“Wake Her Up”), and Rainer Maria’s Caithlin De Marrais (“Blood On My Blood”). LP4 is an ambitious artistic statement from a band that continues to push the boundaries of genre and culture. It’s a gorgeous and elaborate album, one that takes its time to reveal its beauty while hinting at the darker parts trying their best to stay hidden.