Departures :: "Pillars"

One of the best post-punk debuts of 2012 comes from Departures, a Canadian five-piece drawing on the tradition of Echo and the Bunnymen and early Bloc Party. "Pillars", a bass-heavy, shout-along affair, is eerily reminiscent of Kele Okereke's didactic vocals and roughed-up arrangement for "The Answer," though minus the final crashing conclusion and such a biting aphorism as, "you could talk a little less." The guitar leads on "Pillars" rip and charge as sharp angles behind dark lyrics like, "I don't want for you to see" and a surprisingly catchy chorus. It's all been intentionally buried in layers and layers of fuzz, but the melodies emerge from the haze, a haunting series of zombie hooks left to run roughshod over your zip code.