Scraps of Tape – ‘Sjätte Vansinnet’

Five people, five records, a title referring to The Sixth Sense (Sjätte vansinnet roughly translates as The Sixth Madness): there is a lot of math one could do with this newest record of the beloved Swedes SCRAPS OF TAPE. But, as this is not a numerology-seminar, the songs themselves are far from drawing a picture of some beat-counting mathrock-nerds. Instead, SCRAPS OF TAPE do what they do best, and they do it in a manner that’s likely becoming more and more the way they initially imagined it. The past records Resident Flux and his predecessor Grand Letdown already began to draw the line from which Sjätte vansinnet now benefits. Throughout its whole playtime we hear a band fully in shape and highly aware of what their ability is: crashing tunes, fragile melody, unswerving power. And that’s exactly what distinguishes SCRAPS OF TAPE from other similar bands that came up in the great flood of postrock-epigones during the 00s.

There’s little room to get used to this heavy thing though, as We, The Leftheaded directly jumps into this slimfit-suit that’s been knitted out of skillful emo-rock (maybe imagine the good former THE APPLESEED CAST-emo) in genre-dismissing postrock-spirit and that sets the style of this record right away: vital, heavy breathing guitars, tight rhythms and great dynamic-changes, topped by some consistently heart-wrenching singing. It is exciting to hear these guys letting the instrumental piece Fuga easily blend into postrock-hymn Hands in Hands. Clearly, SCRAPS OF TAPE know their business and meanwhile they limit themselves to a condensed version of their sound.

References are paid along the way not only to the typical likes of LOGH, JENIFEREVER or MOGWAI but clearly also to the instrumental madness of ASIWYFA or MAYBESHEWILL. SCRAPS OF TAPE seem to be more willing than ever to put their usual strengths into labour – favouring the more desperately expressed feelings, though they still keep up a certain element of inwardness and melancholy. As a result, Sjätte Vansinnet is a very thick and intensive experience – even in terms of SCRAPS OF TAPE‘s previous recordings. It’s a place of beauty and solitude at the same time, marrying anger and hope which maybe nothing can do quite as this kind of music can. Guess what? You can count on SCRAPS OF TAPE! Moreover, if you are craving for a modern sounding postrock-record, you should definitely give this one a spin.

The fifth SCRAPS OF TAPE-record, “Sjätte Vansinnet” sees a band fully in shape and highly aware of what their ability is: crashing tunes, fragile melody, unswerving power. 3,5/5

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SCRAPS OF TAPE