Tapestry of Webs is the debut album from Past Lives. Recorded in the summer and fall of 2009 and to be released at the end of this month, the album is a collage, well…more a tapestry of songs exploring styles within a post-punk theme. 
Past Lives formed in 2007 out of the break-up of the Blood Brothers—in fact the band is the Blood Brothers minus Johnny Whitney and original guitarist Devin Welch back in place of Cody Votolato. Not that Past Lives is Blood Brothers-light. This is a new band, a new sound, and there is a clearer connection to a Gang of Four swagger and an updated focus on textures.
“Falling Spikes,” may be the most single ready song; angular guitars paired to asymmetric rhythms and the clearest vision of pop songs with dynamic builds. Harmonies dodge in and out and there are plenty of opportunities to hear the interplay between Welch’s guitar and Henderson’s baritone guitar. There is lyrical talent throughout—this particular song being about the dangers of falling spikes—but they come to the fore on the same-name-as-the-band-song “Past Lives”; the band reaches the hypnotic balance between music and vocal.
It’s clear the Seattle-based group is trying to create aural landscapes juxtaposed with ‘rock-ier’ portions. Sometimes they may just stay in the aural landscape portion of the song (particularly on “Deep In The Valley”) and other times they may just stay in the ‘rock-ier’ portion (like “K Hole”)…not a bad idea. Each song has unique identifiers but common elements create a cohesive album feel.
On initial listen the stylistic jumps can be jarring, but repeated listening bears out an almost Zappa-esque worthy comparison. In short, the band has put keen effort into creating song structures and song order and—if nothing else—that makes the album worthy of the aforementioned repeated listens.
The band is performing a string of shows, with most of my interest being on their Detroit (3/27) and Grand Rapids (3/28) shows. The group bears a similar chemistry to Ghost Heart and these two shows should almost be performed in tandem.
The album closes with the track, “There Is A Light So Bright It Blinds.” The song sprawls across six minutes, making it an apt closing track. Ideally, this is the direction that Past Lives will continue to take: longer passages that stretch into each other, some parts Delta 5, some parts Swell Maps but a good listen that makes the listener ponder future releases.
Track Listing:
1. Paralyzer
2. Falling Spikes
3. Past Lives
4. Don’t Let the Ashes Fill Your Eyes
5. Deep in the Valley
6. K Hole
7. Hex Takes Hold
8. Vanishing Twin
9. Hospital White
10. At Rest
11. Aerosol Bouquet
12. There is a Light So Bright it Blinds
