What Chaos Is Imaginary is decidedly bigger and bolder than its comparably soft predecessor Powerplant, with slicker production, crunchier drums and huge swaths of guitar bordering on shoegaze. There’s even a drum machine on some tracks, which serves to magnify the frail humanity of Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad’s porcelain vocals. Previous albums saw the pair’s voices intertwined like a sugary whirlpool (sorry), but now with Tucker’s voice noticeably deeper than on Powerplant, there’s a discernible difference between the two vocalists, introducing polarizing (but unrelentingly sullen) energies to Girlpool’s sound. The duo’s bendy, downtrodden incantations recall Pedro The Lion, Elliott Smith, The Moldy Peaches at their absolute least twee, even vintage Death Cab. Highlights include “Where You Sink,” “Pretty,” “Hire,” “Chemical Freeze,” “Minute In Your Mind” and “Roses.” Translucent pineapple yellow colored vinyl pressing, includes printed lyric insert. Recommended.

• translucent pineapple yellow colored vinyl
• indie exclusive
• printed insert
• limited edition
• music label: Anti- 2019

reviewed by sugar mightnot 02/2019