Careen: Cycle 3 EP

If people questioned America’s next generation and their thirst for underground artistic culture, the last couple of years should have proved otherwise for the naysayers.

With the likes of Los Angeles’ Blimp and Chicago’s Uniflora just two of many that have caught the ear around these parts, bands like these have illuminated the spitfires of DIY and underground music across the country. Moments like these prove that DIY culture will always remain, no matter how big or small, and because of this, there will also be new sounds to welcome in for those with an open mind.

Another is Bellingham Washington-based outfit, Careen. Like many new acts starting out on either side of the global pandemic, while Careen’s youth may have been paused, it didn’t deter them from making the kind of noise that causes sensory overload.

The four-piece, now consisting of Desi Valdez (vocals/ guitar), Bryan Foster (bass), Neto Alvarado (drums) and Aiden Blau (guitar, and also nephew of Washington underground veteran, Kurt Blau), have spent the last seven years bending post-hardcore into new shapes and sizes.

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From afar at least, the origins of post-hardcore have always been interesting to untangle. There seemed to be an unconscious locality which ensued, and whether it be from either side of the country, those inhabiting their respective cities or towns tended to stick to localised sounds, further feeding into the notion of DIY culture. That’s why Careen and many young acts like them are such an intriguing proposition. Any subconscious tribalism that potentially existed in the past is not even an afterthought, and in Careen’s case, they seem to have more of an affinity with Slint than Unwound.

In the case of the latter, the comparisons will no doubt be tiresome to the band; not least because Justin Trosoper, Vern Rumsey and Brandt Sandeno formed Giant Henry in neighbouring town, Tumwater, before changing the landscape of post-hardcore altogether, but also because the comparisons simply don’t ring true.

Having shared the stage with the likes of Mount Eerie, Lori Goldston and Loma Prieta, Careen’s quiet / loud surges move beyond the American shores. The band’s 2017 debut EP, Spring, was a typical first release of a band finding their feet, with just about every influence thrown into the melting pot, from the sludge-y maelstrom of Kern (arguably more aligned to Black Sabbath than any post-hardcore luminary) to the closing no-wave inspired Darren (which could be mistaken as a lost cut from Sonic Youth’s EVOL sessions).

Since, the band have calcified into something far more potent, and with another three EPs in as many years (2020’s self-titled, 2021’s rot and 2022’s Careen’s Love Health), Careen have matured with the kind of musicianship that is born from hard work and instinct.

From the David Pajo-inspired riffs that stalk pitch-black hallways and haunt dreams, to the void echoes of post-punk sentinels Total Control, Careen’s venom and panache is among some of the best in modern-day post-hardcore, and it’s all on display on their latest release, Cycle 3.

With violent surges of sound like the ocean’s roar, Cycle 3 is a clear progression from the band’s prior releases. And while Careen’s quiet / loud force remains prevalent, musically, things both sound and feel more assured. On Last Winter, Alvarado’s drums cannon through speakers and alongside the metallic, guardrail-scraping guitars from Valdez and Blau, it sounds like a warehouse explosion.

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Those eager for the Unwound comparisons to stick may find it (albeit very fleetingly) with Irreverent. Even so, it’s Careen’s direct, bone-cold stare into maelstrom that sees them focus in the direction Exploding In Sound rather than, say, Kill Rock Stars.

Next is Neto. A coalition of blast beats and squalling guitars that reveals a new dimension to the band. And speaking of, The Slice sees Careen firing on all cylinders, echoing the best moments of Ovlov and just about every other modern day post-hardcore band occupying the top of the summit.

And that’s where Careen stay on Model Kit. Arguably the best track they have written, with shifts in speed and tempo that run through the veins like lightning. Here Careen obsessively pore over the masters of indie-rock and post-hardcore from the last 30 years, and when it’s done so meticulously, the result is a track like Model Kit.

Yet another band and another release that should be gaining more traction and attention than it is, bands like Careen don’t much care for these things. Anyone harbouring DIY ethos won’t, because, well… it wouldn’t be pure, would it? And Cycle 3 is another release that it just that, and in a world where they might pass most by, reiterating the above, DIY culture will always remain and bands like Careen leave an indelible mark on it.

Cycle 3 is out now via Death Metal, Florida. Purchase from Bandcamp.