If there’s been a band in or around our dear old math rock that’s ever seen a legitimate winning streak, it’s And So I Watch You From Afar, and it’s well deserved. Since their debut, the band has boldly explored territory all across the instrumental spectrum while charming audiences to ecstasy time and time again with unashamed, joyous kicks.
It really is remarkable how consistent they are – each of their albums offers a totally different slice of life, and particularly around the time of Jettison it seemed like the band had established a range so big, they were looking into other mediums to try to encapsulate it.
We’re still very much in the phase of hearing Covid recovery stories large and small, and unfortunately one thing the pandemic broke up the pacing for the highly-visual Jettison, particularly if you were living in the US. It ended up getting its due, but it also seemed to signal a calm in the band compared to The Endless Shimmering before it, and we were kind of into that considering it was a lesser explored territory for the band.
Then we heard the new one.
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Clearly, no one needs to worry about the band losing their edge with Megafauna. It’s a huge relief even if longtime fans were never seriously worried about it. You might have missed it, but this is technically their first record without Johnny Adger on bass. Replacing him is guitarist Rory Freiers’ brother Ewen, who had been involved with the band behind the scenes, so ASIWYFA’s signature flair for a flamethrower low-end remains undisturbed. That’s a feat in it’s own, but overall, this is a batch of tunes that speaks for itself.
The record’s first single “Du Hast,” sorry, “Do Mór,” is was a perfect volley to hail the return a slightly more aggressive turn for the band which also had us excited, and after a couple spins we can confidently say this is the heaviest thing they’ve dropped since Gangs. Every one of the band’s records has a place in our hearts, and the Gangs’ claim to fame for many international fans is that it was the one they heard first, often discovering their brilliant debut afterwards.
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The particular flavor of those first couple albums has stood the test of time for a reason, but Megafauna seems to have tapped a very similar vein, so if you think about it, Megafauna also kind of continues where The Endless Shimmering left off. That record was excellent, and marked a return to orbit for a band that took post-rock to outer space and back. This one just might be even better thanks to its willingness to use the bits and pieces they found in the deep with Heirs and Jettison while pushing once again for heavier delivery.
The band has always had a towering sense of scale, and somehow, they feel bigger and better than ever on songs like “Gallery of Honour,” the “Mother Belfast,” suite, and the beautifully layered “Any Joy.” The record closes with the glorious thunderhead that is “Me and Dunbar,” a song that brings together every facet of the bands legacy to explosive heights. It’s like jumping into an infinite, spiraling ocean, just knowing everything’s going to be awesome… kind of like the guitar flying through the air on the cover.
It’s unnatural, it’s incredible, and it’s everything we’ve ever wanted from And So I Watch You From Afar. We don’t know how they do it, but we’re glad that they do. Check it out on their Bandcamp here.