Deafhaven – Lonely People With Power Review

When we consider what it means to be lonely with power, be it the president of the United States or a Subway employee now bereft of conversation because of a twenty-inch tablet ordering device, we must accept the consequence. Deafhaven does this brilliantly with their latest album, Lonely People With Power. Those isolated and with access to limiting another life, or extending their own, will take it. Power does not imply confidence or care. That much should be obvious, given the state of the world and the several charisma vacuums in charge currently. Lonely People With Power is a roaring piece of defiance, an instrumentally confident metal album which shares more in common with the wordplay Brian Eno has offered recently than the screamo scene. Yes, those screams are present, but their shouts of panopticons, of falling out of rhythm with the world, are fascinating.  

Deafhaven may be repeating the same few lyrical tones, but so too are most bands as they try and find a route through the world without falling into controversy or cult status. Even a listener not at all interested in screamo can find some interest in this one thanks to some incredible instrumental work. A fascinating tempo, a never-relenting sound which gives Lonely People With Power a constant confidence. Convincing a listener of the tone, of the rage against the machine, is all Deafhaven has to do. Their wordplay is a tad lopsided, like an angrier version of Yes, but without Rick Wakeman. Instrumentally, Lonely People With Power is a secure and heavy piece of work. A series of outstanding guitar riffs and dedicated percussion is what defines these songs. For those new to the screamo and heavier metal scene, there are few better places to start than with this. There is something so familiar, yet wonderfully original, about these pieces.  

Lonely People With Power is not just run-of-the-mill, guttural screams and heavy guitar feedback. There are a few spots where Deafhaven considers advancing their sound, implementing some softer flourishes on The Garden Route. It is not long until they return to their usual comforts, but it is at least a brief break from what listeners already know. When the group gets to that lighter sound, the likes of Heathen and Amethyst for instance, it brings out the best in their efforts. A sharp turn for Deafhaven there, a focus on their storytelling rather than the somewhat rushed and uneventful screaming, the lacking power of the word masked by an intense delivery. But what does this intense delivery mask? 

A lot of begging, a fascination with crawling, and a sense of pulling yourself up. There are only so many times you can pull yourself from the fire or war and Lonely People With Power offers no conclusion, no advances after you have gotten back on your feet. That would not be of interest to Deafhaven, a band which sounds best when on their backs, kicking against those above them. They begin to lose their way somewhat, the steam running out as the band finds themselves re-treading familiar, still fun ground on Winona and The Marvellous Orange Tree. Deafhaven has a great grasp on what the world would be like should those lonely people hold their power, and while the defiance is from the overarching message, rather than the specifics, Lonely People With Power is still a notable, often thrilling album.