Viewfinder by Wendy Eisenberg

For an album about the restoration of sight, Viewfinder by Wendy Eisenberg immerses itself in musical darkness to a surprising degree. After a recent lasik surgery neutralized Eisenberg’s lifelong medley of eye disorders, their mixed feelings on the outcome fueled the emotional nuances of this record. On one hand, this change liberates Eisenberg, as represented on this album with euphoric, acrobatic solos that relish in the world and all its 20/20 glory. However, the remedy of this significant inhibition left Eisenberg disappointed with their many problems left unsolved, realizing the persistent limitations of the sensation of sight regardless of their ascension to “perfect” vision. Thus, a dark underbelly lurks under much of the record, with some rhythm section grooves which would feel comfortably at home in the abyssal settings of 90s post rock and post hardcore. Gradually, these two forces mediate, forming a bittersweet fusion that acknowledges persisting problems while gratefully embracing the change.