Review of Alone With Heaven by Electric Sheep

What makes The Saddest Landscape stand out among their peers in the emo/screamo scene is their ability to capture the tension of hope and despair so viscerally. They utilize massive, melodic wall-of-sound guitars, giving the perfect backdrop for Andy Maddox’s signature style of vocals. His oscillation between poetic spoken word and harsh shrieks of exasperation provides an oppressive, yet cathartic emotional core. His unique vocalizing is a potent weapon he wields to deliver his devastatingly sincere and personal lyrics. Each song bleeds with ache, hope and defiance. All of this is tied together in dramatic, swelling compositions in the vein of post-rock bands such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor or Yndi Halda.

It’s worth noting that this was one of the last projects that Steve Albini worked on, and you can hear his influence all over. Much of his signature “rawness” in production style is what allows for the explosive moments on the album to really shine. As you would expect with Albini attached, the drums are massive, the bass is ever-present and the album feels warm and spacious.

The pacing here is also a standout. At almost twice the length of most of their discography, Alone With Heaven was released as a double LP. Thankfully, it never overstays its welcome; instead, it takes that extra time to lean into their more post-rock inspired sensibilities, allowing the music to live and breathe in its own atmosphere.

That flow is aided by some great guest spots, notably Jeremy Bolm of Touché Amoré and Julien Baker. Baker’s feature on "The Invisible Hurt" gives instant flashbacks to "Imperfect but Ours" from You Will Not Survive, recreating a similar interplay between delicate feminine vocals and Maddox’s unhinged emotional spiraling. The two coalesce with an accompaniment of strings into an emotional blow-off for the first half of the album, clearing the deck for "Kissed by Strangers" to kick off the second half. Bolm’s feature on “Hold Until it Hurts” is a fun meeting of peers. He feels right at home on a Saddest Landscape song, as his trademark vocal style is not too dissimilar to Maddox’s and delivers a performance as emotionally resonant as you would expect.

I’d be hard-pressed to find any serious flaws with Alone With Heaven. The Saddest Landscape have come back after eleven years and released undoubtedly their most ambitious album. It’s a masterful culmination of all their work to this point. It’s big, it’s loud, and it’s beautiful.