After
Mount Kimbie
released 2022's
MK 3.5: Die Cuts | City Planning
, a double solo album split between left-field hip-hop/R&B and hissy abstract techno, core members
Dominic Maker
and
Kai Campos
were officially joined by longtime touring musicians
Andrea Balency-Béarn
Marc Pell
.
The Sunset Violent
marks
's return to making guitar-driven post-punk songs, but even this feels like more of a straightforward rock album than
Cold Spring Fault Less Youth
or
Love What Survives
. Synths and electronic beats (specifically a singular LinnDrum) are still a major part of the group's sound, but they come across as a rock band rather than a dance act. Driving opener "The Trail" has scratchy guitars, flute-like synths, and
Stereolab
-like wordless vocals, and "Dumb Guitar" is a breezy combination of escapism and self-doubt bringing
Nabihah Iqbal
to mind. "Shipwreck" sets some of the album's most direct lyrics of romantic longing to angular hooks, coming across as both tense and reassuring. Past guest
King Krule
returns on two songs, the dreamy "Boxing" and the gloomy yet jangly "Empty and Silent," and while he sounded hard-nosed and aggressive on his previous appearances on
records, here he seems to go with the flow. "A Figure in the Surf" is an upbeat but detached tune expressing alienation yet also finding comfort in the daily routine. Though there are a few more abstract pieces -- like the brief, scattered "Got Me" -- as a whole,
focuses on impressionistic snapshots and daydream-like reflections. It's easily the most unified record
has produced, especially in stark contrast to their previous effort. ~ Paul Simpson