There Is a Well by Shallowater

As a new crop of bands take up the mantle of experimental rock music, the specter of dissonant post hardcore once again emerges. With a new album called There Is a Well by Shallowater, the scene seems more ready than ever to expand upon this dark, difficult aesthetic, as Shallowater introduces a heavy dose of smooth country music to this otherwise crunchy sound. Incorporating tendencies like swirling repetition and biting jazz chords within country music creates an unusual and unforgettable sound, inviting bands of the future to elaborate upon the ideas demonstrated here. Vocally, this record even verges on ballad-based soft rock, all while the band wrestles these consumable verses and choruses out of the singer’s hands, adding subtle and tasteful levels of grit while actively fighting any tendency towards rock n roll bravado. This is becoming a bit of a theme this week, but seeing such creative approaches emerge just as Americana picks up mainstream success bodes very well for the future of this essential set of genres.