The first full-length record in a decade from On The Water, the aptly titled Return is a remarkable offering that digs into a wide range of styles that belies the band’s self-inflicted “indie-folk” tag. A dark, frazzled record that takes Low as a sonic cornerstone, branching out across the alternative rock firmament into a grey area where post rock and prog collide, it is both beautiful and brutal, the band rarely taking a linear path when a dark, tree-bracketed digression presents itself.
On The Water waste little time in setting out their stall. The album kicks off with a surprisingly grungy take on prog that sits somewhere between Sebadoh and the Mars Volta. Short and to the point, yet built around an acrobatic riff, House On Fire is certainly a hell of an entrance – all the more considering the band’s decade-long absence – and it sets a high bar for the album that follows. While the opening to Culdesac wrongfoots the listener, recalling the spartan beauty of Low, the explosive guitars that follow once again nod to a punkier strain of alternative rock, with elements of Cave In and Afghan Whigs shot through the mix. The result is a track that is both vulnerable, frayed at the edges, and ready to explode at a moment’s notice – all of which serves to keep the listener on their toes, never quite sure at what point they can expect another sonic bludgeoning.
While superficially quieter, the eerie minor-key calm of Bad Wind offers little refuge from the squalls that buffet the album, the track neatly bridging the gap between Low and Neil Young (something that Low themselves explored on a mesmerising In The Fishtank Session). It’s a song to lose oneself within, the only slight disappointment being that it’s over too soon. It’s followed by the hazy Sea King which adds Spiritualized to On The Water’s ever-growing list of sonic touch points, the nimble guitars slowly coalescing into something more gnarled and urgent. It segues more or less directly into Grove, which exists in a dark, neo-folk world previously inhabited by the likes of Michael Gira – a world shot through with eerie drones and elements of jazz.
The second half of the album provides something of a reset, the grungy folk rock of Mr Mystery proving to be somewhat punchier than the dark ambience that preceded it. Then there’s the falsetto-led Plant Me, which strips away the reverb, placing a closer focus onto the ravaged vocal. A dark, tumultuous piece that builds and builds, it paves the way for the emotionally charged Homewrecker – a simmering masterclass in post-rock dynamics that takes the aching heartbreak of latter-day Bob Dylan, the stunning harmonies of Low, and the dusty country-folk of Bee and Flower, wrapping it all up in glistening guitar lines to deliver something truly mesmerising. It benefits all the more from being allowed to stretch past the five-minute mark, allowing a greater appreciation of the remarkable musicianship that sits at the heart of this incredible band.
Following the harrowing, yet cathartic, outpouring of Homewrecker, dark folk returns to the fore for Blue Dream. A thing of haunted beauty, it finds the band stripping the song down to its musical essence, as liquid slide slowly envelops a series of delicately picked lines that seem to hang in the humid air. The album wraps up with the languid folk piece Permutations. An off-kilter finale that owes as much to Afghan Whigs as it does trad folk, it makes for a suitably original and evocative finale.
As should by now be self-evident, On The Water defy easy categorisation. They write from the heart, and each track is a mini masterpiece in its own right. However, what really makes Return stand out is the way that each song flows into the next, with the end result an album that truly draws the listener in to the band’s unique world. Across the course of the record, there are nods to all sorts of different artists, but always it is a tip of the hat from a band whose interests run wide and deep, without ever really sounding like the artists they acknowledge. It’s just another facet of what makes On The Water so unique and, with Return, they have created an album of real worth that will keep you coming back time and again. 9/10
Pre-order ‘Return’ by On The Water’ coming out September 5 via Strange Mono Records here. All the proceeds from digital and physical sales will benefit local mutual aid orgs in Philadelphia.
