The self-titled debut album from Pittsburgh-based artist Plough unleashes an atmospheric post-punk appeal, spanning from enjoyably raucous to moody introspection. The project comes via Pittsburgh-based musician Ryan Davis, who wrote, recorded, mixed, produced, and mastered the album on his own. The release is described as “a stark meditation on progress and decay,” — drawing specifically from Pittsburgh’s industrial decay, and exploring the uneasy tension between modern convenience and the longing for something real amidst the noise.
Opening track “Drought” is enjoyably representative of the album’s impressively dynamic tonal balances. A delectably eerie assembly of screeches and drones move into a steady rhythmic pulse, invoking a post-punk nostalgia as roaring guitars take hold past the one-minute turn. A rousing vocal intensity invigorates by mid-point; the track dazzles in its equally commanding displays of moody post-punk “went for a walk,” introspections and anthemic, emotive rock heights. The ensuing “Paradise Creek” is equally riveting, moving from heavy bass slabs into the empowering “take me down to paradse…” vocal quivering — reminding fondly of Chameleons UK in the ferocity there.
Also immersing, “Bring the Shovel” exudes a swampy, nocturnal passion as creeping vocal momentum aligns with whirring effects and twangy, desert-set guitar lines. The three-minute mark is especially compelling as sturdy bass lines move seamlessly into an erupting guitar-laden lingering. Album finale “Strange Blood” is another excellent one, bursting with passionate guitar work and especially captivating sequence around 03:30, as a brief pause shifts into a bellowing vocal precision that sends chills. Plough is a fantastic debut from this enjoyably gloomy project.
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“Paradise Creek” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
