Loose Power

When Unwound broke up in 2002, the pioneering post-rock band left a hole in the musical firmament that dozens of acts have been trying and failing to patch up in the years since. Try as they might, they could never quite reach the perfect balance of tension and release, spiny and smooth that made the Olympia-based trio's work so damn powerful. That is until Survival Knife came to life. Bringing together two ex-Unwound bandmates Justin Trosper and Brandt Sandeno, Survival Knife is another bracing and energetic shot to the dome by these singular songwriters, and one that they are eager to embrace. The first major statement to arrive from this new project is 'Loose Power', the debut full-length from Survival Knife, on Glacial Pace Recordings. Working with longtime Unwound cohorts Stuart Hallerman (he recorded the album with Matt Buscher) and Steve Fisk (who handled the mixing), and mastered by the venerable Bob Weston (he of Shellac and Mission of Burma infamy), the seven-song album weds the riffage of classic rock with the feverish angular pulse of post-punk / post-hardcore.