I like earnestly thoughtful music that can resonate within my soul. Sometimes it takes a while to be discovered. Thankfully 2020 has helped produce good works done by many artists old and new.

Natoma is the debut album by 2-piece Screamo band Stormlight. This project features Sean Leary from Loma Prieta on guitar, bass, and vocals alongside Erik Anderson of Lord Snow and Lautrec on drums. This is a ferocious 11 track album that speeds by with melodic musicianship and simplistic chaos.

Vocals bleed with lo-fi distortion and melody reminiscent of old Japandroids. The music itself is wonderfully done and everything just feels organic when heard. It makes me imagine it being an album that was accidently knocked off a shelf and hidden behind gathering dust. But man, once it was found and played it felt like a missing link that needed to be used to fill in the gaps.

From the immediate grab of opening track “Farsick”, the breathable heights of “Acute Care”, the personally quiet contemplation of “Sleep Debt”, the dangerous elements of anger on “Wires”, and then the last gasping lap of “Recover”, Stormlight bring forth an epic sounding record that can sit beside some of the best in the genre.

If you dig a lot of modern day Screamo bands such as Respire, Infant Island, Ostraca, Portrayal of Guilt, or older ones like Pg.99, Orchid, Louise Cyphre, and Circle Takes the Square, then you should drop what you are doing and check this out asap.

Dig it.