Together - Duster: Review

Duster

are a California band who experimented in slowcore and space rock during a run of material in the late 90's. In particular their 1998 album Stratosphere made them an indie darling in critical circles with a cult following. After years of inactivity in the 2000's and 2010's they reformed and released a self-titled 3rd album in 2019. Together is their 4th album and was released as a surprise with no singles or promotion.

Review By Lav:

While I am no doubt a critic, and there is plenty of reason to lump praise onto Duster's Stratosphere, what makes it so truly transcendent is a much more personal and emotional affair. The bands lucid, nostalgic and spacey style of largely instrumental rock is truly unique and seemingly universal in the way it evokes sad distance and isolation. While I enjoy the bands entire discography that moment in particular has always felt like an era defining masterpiece. For that reason I'll always be in tune with Duster whenever they release new music and this surprise drop really got to me. Thankfully the hype that I built up rapidly for the album turned out to be worthwhile and resulted in another great collection of songs.

Without any singles or context to go over let's get right to the highlights. This is the darkest Duster record yet both thematically and lyrically and they get that tone started from the opening tune New Directions. It opens up quickly with really gloomy guitars that are left handing in this uncomfortably dense space. The whispered vocals contrast with the walls of guitar for something that sounds more like Slint than Duster but it is no doubt an effective tone setter. Much later on in the record is its darkest point Feel No Joy, an appropriate title for the dejected and dark themes it dabbles in. The way they chop up the vocal refrains only adds to the grit of the subject matter, while the manipulations on the guitars give everything a strained and anguished sound. It's an excellent song.

While I can't prove that the title of Familiar Fields is a deliberate reference to Stratosphere this is absolutely the song on Together that most resembles it. From the blurry nostalgic guitar lines to the slow but still very snappy drum hits it certainly achieves a sense of familiarity. I love the thick distortion on the otherwise monotone vocals and it results in such an eerie sound. I can't say anything else other than that I love this record. Time Glitch is the most interesting song here from an atmosphere perspective. The best moment comes in the back half when a rush of electric guitars work their way in twice with massively impactful results. The core of the song will be familiar to most slowcore fans but it has a garnish that I enjoy. 

Escalator is probably the haziest song on the record with a thick layer of ambient style fuzz backing prominent acoustic guitar strumming. No vocals come in until the last minute of the song but I don't mind it at all because because the track makes an interesting progression throughout and the vocals really just feel like another step. The one two punch of Sleepyhead and Making Room makes both tracks work better together. The former is the most lackadaisical song on the record and one of the most involved vocally while the former deploys loud and brash walls of crackling noise soaking into everything. Their pairing back to back in the tracklist heightens the impact of both songs. 

Retrograde has a dreamy sound with touches of reverb on the guitar chords alongside lyrics and vocals that brighten up the aesthetic compared to some other songs here. While I wouldn't call it sunny there are hints of optimism that persist throughout and I find them pretty intoxicating. Closing track Sad Boys isn't one of my favorite songs here but it is definitely a fitting finale. In particular the way it closes the entire album across its final 30 seconds is really what makes it a great addition. Finally there's Drifter which starts off with a completely isolated short guitar riff and works it over and over again for nearly half the song. Even once the rest of the instrumentation comes in, the track is quite reserved deploying other sounds only where necessary and never letting go of that core riff.

While these songs aren't perfect they do bring a lot of fresh ideas and interesting adjustments to Duster's sound throughout. Some of the shorter tracks don't necessarily live up to that bill and the album is at its weakest when it feels formulaic. N has the most reserved vocals on the record but has no trouble whatsoever filling out the mix with some of the most dynamic drumming on the record and huge slurred guitar lines taking point. The one thing I'm not crazy about is how short is all is especially given the one brief vocal passage the songs ends with what feels like so much left to be explored. Teeth is probably my least favorite song on the record because it is both long and sort of uninteresting. I like some of the lyrics quite a bit but the progression it goes through feels so utterly familiar that I am over it quickly.

Together is a good record but it's almost like everybody already knew that going into it. What is much more interesting is the brand new directions and ambitions the band delivers for their sound. From the vocal effects and manipulation to the darker than usual subject matter and sonic aesthetic this record really leans into the segment of Duster's fanbase that lives for the existential dread. Luckily I fall into that category occasionally and I envision myself coming back to this record often to both indulge with its darkness and appreciate the musicianship behind it. 8/10

Album Cover Review by Tyler Judson:

This cover is cool but it doesn't stand out as a true album cover, just a basic photograph. I like the color of the ashtray being the only pop in the image and it draws your eye in but it's lacking something truly interesting. There's no gratification when viewing this, it just is what it is. No branding or other additions make it boring after an initial viewing. 3/10

For more indie check out my review of Destroyer's Labyrinthitis here