NEW ALBUM SPIRAL IN A STRAIGHT LINE OUT NOW ON RISE RECORDS
Touché Amoré is an American post-hardcore band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 2007. Since 2010, the band has consisted of vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin. To date, the band have released six studio albums: …To the Beat of a Dead Horse in 2009, Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me in 2011, Is Survived By in 2013, Stage Four in 2016, Lament in 2020, and 2024’s critically acclaimed Spiral in a Straight Line.
(credit-Sean Stout)
Following the release of last year’s critically-acclaimed Spiral In A Straight Line on Rise Records, the pioneering LA post-hardcore quintet Touché Amoré return to UK shores for a string of headline shows throughout this February and March, with support from the Texan shoegazers Trauma Ray.
The band are considered part of the musical movement known as “The Wave“, which consisted of American post-hardcore bands emerging in the late 2000s and early 2010s – among them La Dispute, Defeater, Pianos Become the Teeth, and Make Do and Mend. They have been described by Pitchfork as “reliably cathartic and anthemic melodic post-hardcore”, while Stereogum remarked in 2016 of the band’s style: “If arena hardcore existed, this is how it might sound.”
If you’re looking for some of that “arena hardcore” sound then you can catch the band live on the following dates:
Tickets are available HERE
February
20th Engine Rooms, Southampton
21st The Globe, Cardiff
22nd Asylum, Birmingham
23rd Fleece, Bristol
25th Whelan’s, Dublin
26th Limelight 2, Belfast
27th St. Luke’s, Glasgow
28th Project House, Leeds
March
1st Gorilla, Manchester
2nd Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
4th Chalk, Brighton
5th Electric Ballroom, London
Tickets are available HERE
Our review of new album is here:
Spiral in a Straight Line
Touche Amore’s sixth full-length album continues their exploration of screamo and post-hardcore, building upon a strong discography that includes genre-defining peaks like “Stage Four.” While the band has been moving towards a more melodic and diverse sound in recent years, this new album presents an interesting mix of tracks. They’ve successfully crafted some of their catchiest, anthemic songs to date whilst further incorporating indie rock influences with guest appearances from Julien Baker and Lou Barlow. As a big indie rock fan myself, I see this as quite the plus.
The album’s core narrative revolves around frontman Jeremy Bolm’s intense exploration of depression, post-traumatic stress, overthinking, fear, and the search for relief. Cheerful it is not, inspiring though, most definitely. It’s a concept album that delves into how life continues even when one is trapped in these feelings. The album’s title, “Spiral in a Straight Line,” encapsulates this idea – a sense of forward momentum even amidst personal turmoil. The lyrics explore the resulting disconnections in relationships, the mourning of lost time, and a glimmer of hope for reconciliation on the closing track. This holistic approach to storytelling is reminiscent of their successful “Stage Four” album.
The feeling of ‘mixed’ stems from the need that all bands have of needing to maintain their established sound whilst wrestling with their desire for innovation. While some tracks showcase the band’s strengths, like the driving punk drums and blistering guitar changes on “Disasters” and the blast beats and crushing emotions of “Mezzanine,” others feel a tad short. The opening track and “Force of Habit” are have unusual musical \ instrumental choices that sit at odds with Bolm’s vocals. However, tracks like “Finalist” successfully evoke classic ’90s post-hardcore influences, while “Hal Ashby” and “Altitude” demonstrate the band’s amazing ability for catchy songwriting.
The guest appearances, while contributing to the narrative, are more of a nice to have than a necessary draw, which for me suggests the band could have nailed this quite easily unaided such is the strength and pedigree they have in their solid history. Both Baker and Barlow are unlikely to be touring (I assume) so I’m looking forward to hearing the tracks performed live with just the main band in the room. Despite these inconsistencies, the album is ultimately a thoughtful and impassioned effort. For the fans, this definitely surpasses their previous album by some margin and as such earns a solid 8/10.
Check out the album here:
Tickets are available HERE
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