Re-emerging after some years of silence,
Should found themselves settling into a calm, minimal place for
Like a Fire Without Sound -- if it's not, say,
Young Marble Giants, it's a case of art pop as gentle understatement, something that draws on the spirit of acts ranging from other '80s bedroom pop artists like
Thomas Leer and
Felt to the genteel explorations of acts like
Testbild! and
Most Valuable Players. Calling a song "Awake at Night" is as lovely a summary as any -- the combination of slightly treated vocals, a lovely, almost lullaby-like guitar line, and what almost sound like vibes and other tones as well as cymbal hits instead of drum taps gives a perfect sense of aware, conscious stillness. The singing of Marc Ostermeier and Tanya Maus throughout is equally understated -- not barely there or whispered or flat, but floating along sweetly, sometimes blending together in sweet harmony as on "Famous for Her Dress," sometimes with Ostermeier as the sole lead, and on "Always Returning" not appearing at all, letting the slow interweaving of two guitar lines lead the way instead. When it comes to a specific reference point,
New Order is a bit unavoidable, given a guitar line in "Turned Tables" that couldn't be any more of a clear homage -- and there's something about the fact that they use a distinctly similar but slower line on "Slumberland," the song that immediately follows it, almost as if it's a formalist exploration of the hook. However, the most direct nod is by means of an unexpected, striking cover choice -- "Broken," an early song by '90s post-punk experimenters
Disco Inferno. The song itself was one from that band's own days of
Joy Division/
New Order worship, but in
Should's hands the feeling of a slightly distanced take on an album like
Movement is turned into something a little more intimate, Ostermeier's vocals to the fore, drums a touch more removed -- not a reinvention of the song but enough so that
Should put their own stamp on it, as any good cover version should do. ~ Ned Raggett