''Moments of Clarity'' is the third studio album by American
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...
group
Narrow Head
Narrow Head is an American alternative metal band from Dallas, Texas. The group was founded by vocalist Jacob Duarte in Dallas, but the band is now based in Houston.
History
Narrow Head formed in 2013 and released their debut album, ''Satisfact ...
, released on
Run for Cover Records
Run for Cover Records is an American independent record label based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 2004 by Jeff Casazza at the age of 17 with a $1,000 loan, the label functioned as a small one-person bedroom operation in Brighton, until Casa ...
. The album expands on the group's sound, incorporating influences from 1990s
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
and
shoegaze
Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with "dream pop") is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volu ...
and has been compared to
Hum
Hum may refer to:
Science
* Hum (sound), a sound produced with closed lips, or by insects, or other periodic motion
* Mains hum, an electric or electromagnetic phenomenon
* The Hum, an acoustic phenomenon
* Venous hum, a physiological sensation
...
and
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamb ...
,
while the band also cites
Deftones
Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by Chino Moreno (vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first five ...
and
My Bloody Valentine as influences.
Reception
In ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'', Olly Thomas characterized the music's sound as "dream-grunge" and it sounds "like a hearty embrace from a band proving themselves capable of great things"; he scored the album 4 out of 5.
Writing for ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'', Mia Hughes rated this release a 6.6 out of 10, noting a "muddy emotional mix" in the lyrics, alongside "tension and release" in the music, criticizing some of the middle of the album, but calling the work "an effective illustration of the process of clawing your way to some meaning, knowing that otherwise you’ll be destroyed" at its best.
''
Sputnikmusic
Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...
'' published two reviews for this release: staffer jesper scored it a 3.7 out of 5, stating that certain tracks are excellent and the album "leaves me wishing for a bit more in spite of its clearly cohesive consistency",
while contributor Teal rated it a 4.0 out of 5, stating that "there is something really refreshing about Narrow Head’s one-track mind for writing, recording, and playing humble and honest dreamy hard rock in this day and age".
On June 23, ''
Alternative Press
Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'' published an unranked list of the top 25 albums of the year to date and included this release, publishing that "the Houston outfit are in their bag here, employing thick distortion, renewed purpose, and all-consuming emotions to drive their message home".
Track listing
#"The Real" – 3:30
#"Moments of Clarity" – 3:50
#"Sunday" – 3:18
#"Trepanation" – 3:29
#"Breakup Song" – 4:08
#"Fine Day" – 5:25
#"Caroline" – 3:32
#"The World" – 3:15
#"Gearhead" – 3:24
#"Flesh & Solitude" – 4:49
#"The Comedown" – 5:57
#"Soft to Touch" – 4:03
Personnel
Narrow Head
*Jacob Duarte – guitars, lead vocals, synthesizers,
production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
*Ryan Chavez – bass guitar, production
*Will Menjivar – guitars, production
*Kora Puckett – guitars, vocals, synthesizers, production, front cover, design, layout
*Carson Wilcox – drums,
drum machine programming, production
Additional personnel
*Will Borza – project assistance
*Matt Cerritos – additional
engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
*Sonny Diperri – engineering,
mixing, production
*Madison East – front cover
*Jeff Friedl – tambourine on “The Real,” “Moments of Clarity”, “Sunday”, and “Caroline”
*Mike Kriebel – additional engineering
*Lil Aaron – additional vocals on “Gearhead”, additional production on “Soft to Touch”
*Howie Weinberg –
mastering
See also
*
2023 in American music
*
List of 2023 albums
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
2023 albums
Narrow Head albums
Run for Cover Records albums