Arrhythmia

Bleaker and moodier than what came before, a band leaning into the shadows and finding something genuinely striking there. Trades the atmospheric indie of their debut for something closer to Joy Division, all pale grey noise and restrained tension. Sweet Samurai stands out as the clear centerpiece, slow burning and dramatic without overdoing it, the kind of song The National would happily claim as their own. O'Reilly's vocals carry a lot of the weight throughout, nonchalant in a way that suits the coldness around it. Doesn't reinvent much across its runtime, but it sits comfortably in its own mood. Quietly confident, understated in a way that rewards patience.