Looming

Seed (2017)

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Jessica Knight’s unique voice is unequivocally the star of Looming’s sophomore full-length Seed. The album is somber, finding her in a dark place she frequents. Lyrics like, “I’ve gone through worse before, bring me back down,” on the first proper song and, “What’s it like to feel good again?” on the title track paint the album with a blue hue.

Because of her distinctive vocal abilities, Knight is often balanced with backup vocalist/drummer Brandon Carnes. On “Queen,” Knight sings, “I’m not happy but I’m less miserable” and finds him repeating it back to her. While he had more of a presence on their debut, Carnes is now used to develop their sound rather than take the spotlight. While Nailbiter had some stronger songs, they stood out from the pack. With Seed, Looming has consciously made a record that develops over 11 tracks. Even the instrumental “Intro” proves a unified audible experience. The midsection takes some comfort in repetitious fodder, but that most definitely breaks up near the end. “Majesty” and “Leaves” help make sure you drink up every last drop of Seed. “Majesty” is a big, poppier sing along. “I’ll wash this down tonight. It makes me feel all right,” Knight sings as the guitars match her staccato delivery. “Leaves” is more straightforward and possibly Knight’s best vocal performance on the record.

Looming fits nicely into the emo resurgence still taking place. The guitars get technical but nothing trumps big emotional hooks. They effectively nail the small nuances each song requires. Seed is a brutally honest record about breakups and change and growing. While not new concepts for a young band, they are able to capture it and project it powerfully.