There are punk bands, and then there are punk bands that think outside the box. Unwound was the later, a band that pushed its ideas to an extreme, breaking any mold that was thought possible.
The Future of What, Unwound's third full length release (but really it's fourth album) for Kill Rock Stars is a blanket of tuneful noise. Most of the tracks stay around three minutes or less, except for a few epic curve balls ("Descension," Disappoint," and "Swan"). It's a record that can't be taken lightly.
Guitarist/vocalist Justin Trosper starts Future off by asking, "Where's your energy?" in "New Energy," a blast of a song that is pure jolt. Nothing goes quietly from there on out. Unwound is loud and full of steel, but wavers enough to keep the mind wandering. Even though Trosper and his infectious guitar deserve much attention, Sara Lund (drums) and Vern Rumsey (bass) carry the weight of all 13 songs.
The furious pace of Future slows a bit with "Re-Enact the Crime" and "Equally Stupid," which might be the best one-two punch of the album. You can actually hear the blues bleed out of each song. It's a welcome turn. The first side ends with "Descension," a floating island of drone that will infect goosebumps on the arms.
Unwound goes back to the punk blasts on the second side, three to be exact, until melting into more drone rhythms to close out Future. "Dissappoint" and "Swan" might leave you sunk into your couch, but how? Unwound had you pacing around the room just a few songs before. "Swan," an eight-minute closer, locks on to a breakneck choral coast that never seems to end.
Don't worry, you won't want it to.
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