(We present Christopher Luedtke‘s review of a new album by PDX-based The Body, which will be released by Thrill Jockey Records on November 8th.)
There are not many bands out there you can truly call unique. Cheesy as it may sound, it is the reality of things. Genres are built and maintained by many different bands sharing a similar sonic sound and expounding on it on a smaller scale. Usually there is a slow branching out of things, though some buck tradition. But there are certain bands out there that exist in broader terms. The Body has been one of those bands for the better part of their existence now.
Originally beginning as a more straightforward heavy, doom sound, by the early stage of the aughts and 2010s The Body was less than interested in maintaining orthodoxy. As such they have occupied a unique space that few other bands share. And their latest solo release, The Crying Out of Things, continues to solidify this space they have made.
photos by Zachary Harrell Jones
If one is a newcomer to the discography of The Body, I only somewhat envy them, as the breadth of their work is both admirable and intimidating. Though the band first released material as early as 2004 (happy twenty years to those three albums), they have since gone on to collaborate with the likes of Full of Hell, Uniform, Thou, Sandworm, Big | Brave, MSC, and more. And several of these are collaborative albums that spawned more than one release, not to mention The Body’s solo releases such as No One Deserves Happiness, All the Waters of the Earth Shall Turn to Blood, I Have Fought Against It, But I Can’t Any Longer, etc.
They have output. But more so, they have scope. Enough for someone to do a thesis on. One could generalize and say The Body is a doom band, and fine, you are not technically wrong, but that sort of generalization denies every other ingredient that goes into the stock of this band. Now with their ninth full-length release, The Crying Out of Things is an interesting chapter for the band, but also a doubling down of sorts on past works while still moving forward.
The Crying Out of Things is definitionally a proper follow-up to 2021’s I’ve Seen All I Need To See. The previous album was a deliciously dense, miserable, heavy, and noisy experience. And this is no different. What has changed then? I would argue momentum.
The Crying Out of Things starts out on “Last Things” in a thunderous, almost jazzy way with a lively drum section before moving into that dense, harsh heaviness The Body is known for. It sounds like something off their 2004 debut LP. What stands out here is the horn section. It doesn’t dominate the track, but it adds an eeriness, which The Body naturally exudes.
The second track, “Removal”, is where things start to sound both new and old. The Body has done collaborative albums with the likes of OAA and MSC, both acts that lean more into electronic music such as industrial and trip hop. And The Body is in no way shy of invoking more electronic influences. It has been apparent on albums previous, but here they lean into it more while still invoking that old, blown-out speaker distortion sound that they are incredible at generating. “Careless and Worn” invokes much of that same blown-out distortion sound. It sounds like your speakers are disintegrating. And it is at this song where it sounds like The Body is doubling down on previous material.
The Crying Out of Things leans into the mood and aggression of I’ve Seen All I Need to See. The previous album was oppressive in atmosphere but had some breathing room. Here, The Body cast a darker cloud. The mood is more dire, desperate, and depressed. And that does not stop moving forward.
One could say that in its mood The Crying Out of Things serves as a sort of storm siren. There is only darkness in the future which would go along with The Body’s theme. Their albums and merch are depressive in nature, sometimes comically but having a sense of humor about these things is important. Where this album feels like it carries the band forward is how it maintains a commitment to noise but a willingness to embrace electronic elements and the horn sections. The 808 drums on songs like “Less Meaning” punch through with ferocity despite the noise around them and add to the chaos that The Body is conjuring. Meanwhile tracks like “The Citadel Unconquered” are more of a noise/r&b flavor. Something that’s oppressive and ominous but patient. One could call it a spot to breathe but it’s still anxiety inspiring.
We get some glimpses/call-backs to albums like No One Deserves Happiness on tracks like “The Building.” Though noise-ridden it is still oppressive, but the track has its poppier moments, especially towards the end. But they feel like a tease. It is an interesting but not unwelcome decision. It continues to make The Body an unpredictable band. However, it all culminates on “All Worries”, a slow droning finisher that takes us gradually out on a sea of noise, distortion, and screams. It would be dreamlike if it weren’t so nightmarish.
The Crying Out of Things is an acknowledgement of The Body’s discography past and present. If nothing else, it is a culmination. The question is what is on the horizon? How will they twist their sound further? Or are there tweaks going forward? Knowing The Body’s history thus far, they are gonna do what they want to do and that is all. It is the way the band has always operated, and it has done nothing but favors for their output.
This most recent release is incredibly good for people who like heavy, oppressive, noisy, miserable music. That has not changed. But there’s no doubt The Body will continue to evolve. Maybe not violently but slowly, as they have for over twenty years now. Long live.
https://thrilljockey.com/products/the-crying-out-of-things
https://thebody.bandcamp.com/album/the-crying-out-of-things
https://www.facebook.com/thebodyband/