When we last heard from Capillaries, the local post-rockers had just released “Cicadas,” the last of four singles unveiled over the course of a year, and which served as something of a bridge between the group’s original incarnation as a trio and the new four-man lineup that was announced earlier this year. The tracks were eventually compiled into an EP called Eniok, which was released with little fanfare and nary a mention on the band’s social media accounts, perhaps as a means of distancing themselves from their past work. (Or maybe it was just neglect — who’s to say?)
Fast forward to last week, which found Capillaries emerging from the shadows to announce a new record and drop a new single. Aside from its obscure title, Kenopsia (which, according to John Koenig’s Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows website — yes, it’s a real thing and, yes, it’s as amazing as it sounds — means “the eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that’s usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet”), information on the album is non-existent. This leaves us only with new track “Seventy Five Down” to serve as a barometer of what to expect. And you know what? That’s fine by me.
Boasting the band’s most immersive production yet, the track finds Capillaries sounding more majestic and confident than ever, layering ambient melodies and swirling shoegaze guitars over a bustling, tension-filled groove. It’s not as heavy or as noisy as much of the band’s catalog, but it’s darker and more oppressively solemn — not quite a funeral march, but still expressly focused on mortality and death. It’s beautiful in the same way gathering storm clouds can be both alluring and portentous at the same time, the swelling darkness and implicit violence only adding to the song’s strong emotional pull. Listen below.
More Info
Bandcamp: capillaries.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @Capillaries
Instagram: @capillariesband
Twitter: @CapillariesBand