Chicago quartet
Ganser
began when two art school students bonded over their shared love of
the Residents
and
David Lynch
movies. As the experimental-leaning duo grew into a full band, they took on a dour, shadowy post-punk sound that combined moments of abrasive noise with moody, goth-tinged songwriting. On second album
Just Look at That Sky
,
continue to develop by embracing a wider spectrum of approaches to their ever-pessimistic sound. While songs like "Self Service" and "Projector" still work with the plodding bass lines and grim atmospheres of their earlier work, they take their sound to new places on much of the record. "Bad Form" employs a talk-singing vocal style to deliver lyrics about debilitating anxiety in a way so deadpan it almost sounds casual. "Told You So" is similar but buries auxiliary percussion under layers of dissonant guitar and churning rhythms. There are experiments with expanded instrumentation throughout
. After beginning with a segment of minimal,
Joy Division
-esque drums and bass, album closer "Bags for Life" brings in an unexpected horn section to emphasize the song's dramatic energy. "Shadowcasting" employs a creaky, reverb-heavy drum machine beat as a guide for the live instrumentation. The nervously energetic "Emergency Equipment and Exits" is more subtle, processing the drums in a seasick flanger effect and layering guitar lines for a darkly dreamy feel.
's lyrics stick close to themes of dread, tension, and uneasiness, and every song finds a slightly different musical avenue to get to the heart of those heavy feelings. In this way,
manages to be engaging without losing cohesion, anchoring its various chaotic instrumental approaches to a dismal emotional core. ~ Fred Thomas