Film School

We Weren’t Here

Sonic Ritual, 2021

10/10

Listen to We Weren’t Here

The Los Angeles and San Francisco indie-rock sensations Film School are back with their 6th album, We Weren’t Here, and the newest member/drummer Adam Wade (of Jawbox, Shudder To Think, The Jealous Sound fame) certainly turns in a superb performance as the band recorded the entire album never even seeing each other in person other than Wade and frontman Greg Bertens meeting to lay down drum tracks.

The aptly titled “Superperfection” starts the listen with some charming atmosphere, before thumping drums and dreamy vocals enter the smooth post-punk climate, and “Said Your Name” continues the creativity with some spacey sounds flowing alongside warm guitar work from Nyles Lannon and agile drumming that emits a psychedelic angle on indie-rock.

There’s 10 tracks here, and each one is a gem, including the driving beat of the hypnotic “The More I Know”, as well as “Soft Reflections”, which showcases Jason Ruck’s buzzing synth amid playful New Wave nods that brings us back to the best times of the ‘80s. “Drone 2”, another excellent selection, then mesmerizes with its dance friendly appeal that’s still got plenty of alt-rock spirit and strategic bass thanks to Justin LaBo.

Further still, “CPPT” recruits an ominous mood that swirls with waves of hazy, mysterious song craft and wordless singing, and “Take What You Need” finishes with a firm melody amid the shoegaze influences entering the nostalgic and very memorable exit.

Part dream-pop, part post-punk and part psyche-rock, Film School released their debut 20 years ago, and here they prove they’re playing this sort of music better than anyone currently, and this socially distanced record is easily one of the year’s best.

Travels well with: Lanterns On The Lake- Until The Colours Run; The Psychedelic Furs- Made Of Rain