I’ve Been Visiting That Place Again by Kullnes

If you’ve been paying attention to politics or economics or culture or really anything recently, you’ve picked up on the pungent stench of malaise, the biting feeling that something has gone horribly wrong, even as the causes and solutions remain hidden. This uncomfortable feeling permeates the beautifully written noise rock tunes of I’ve Been Visiting That Place Again by Kullnes, an album whose ear for pop bangers and taste for harmonic darkness constantly butt heads in the best way possible. Our lyrical narrator descends into a world of self-imposed isolation, disillusioned by conventionally recommended methods of mental relief like therapy, instead delving into temporary energy sinks like hedonistic relationships and fantasies of climbing the corporate ladder. At the album’s more introspective points, however, we find a self-awareness of these useless distractions; soft singing and spidery guitars search for root causes before a torrent of power chores re emerges on the path of active stagnation.