Wild Moth

Inhibitor (2015)

RENALDO69

Wild Moth's Over, Again was an album I felt deserved more fanfare in 2013. These San Francisco rockers have a pretty big appeal via their eclectic blend of post-punk, shoegaze and overall, a nice Brit-flair, which has a sweet indie-resonance with me. Vocalist/bassist, Carlos Salas, has always had a unique way of winning fans over with his subdued, at-time slurred, disposition on the mic, but it's worked well to somehow bring out the band's energy. If you're a fan of bands like The National, My Bloody Valentine, Interpol and Drive Like Jehu, there may be something here for you. Inhibitor continues to take bits and pieces of influence from them but presses on as Wild Moth's brand, which few are pulling off on the scene right now, or pulling off well.

This album's less melodic than their past work. It's much more guitar-oriented with a heavy focus on distortion and reverb drowning out Salas. However, he finds a great balance to let his voice stand just tall enough above the water. "Mirror" and "Gallery of Walls" open the album nicely with a garage-feel indicative of almost everything they've done before. They're grainier, more energy-laced, exploding with turmoil and a neat introduction to their 30 minute journey of moving on from the youth days. What makes their style that much better is how they run the shoegaze gauntlet in layers as opposed to huge walls of sound that are overdone (and don't get me wrong, some sections of the album do fall prey to this. It's just that they don't harp on this component of the record).

"Thinner" and "Traces" are great examples of how well Wild Moth avoid this oversaturated sound (mistakes made by bands like Title Fight, Superheaven and Citizen in their 2015 releases). I guess it can be chalked up to their punk, grunge and experimental aspects which, no matter what, are never sacrificed. They pop up here and there in small doses but it's enough to add an air of versatility to Wild Moth's signature. Is it an improvement on their album from two years ago? I don't think so. The last LP felt more fresh and compelling. However, Inhibitor still positions itself as a strong statement from a band that deserves much more attention. If this doesn't get them increased recognition, I don't know what will.