“Drift” is their fifth album, and first in four years, after 2018’s “Wait for Love” from Baltimore post-hardcore quintet Pianos Become the Teeth. A far cry from their explosive screamo origins, the LP is proof of the sonic transformation the band have embraced over the years, as even “Drift’s” occasional flares of aggression are swathed in a darkly dreamy post-rock hum—“We are not who we used to be,” Kyle Durfey chants on the celestial “Mouth,” as if to underscore the point. This continued growth is in spite of Pianos Become the Teeth’s reunion with producer Kyle Bernsten (Pig Destroyer, Integrity), who worked on their first two albums—the album’s production is critical to its effect, with complicated textures further enriching the band’s dynamic performances.
Durfey specifically encourages listeners to spin “Drift” from start to finish, describing the album as “a journey” best experienced as “one piece,” rather than a cobbled-together collection of tracks. It’s easy to see what he means: The record earns its title, with the band’s unusual arrangements keeping the listener off balance, opening them up to the deceptively powerful emotional punch it packs.
Further distancing themselves from their contemporaries, “Drift” is different from previous albums, while being instantly recognizable as Pianos. If you were unsure of “Drift” after hearing Skiv, start again. It makes a whole helluva lot more sense in the context of an album.
“Genevieve” by Pianos Become The Teeth from the album ‘Drift’, available now
The Fat Angel Sings 