The Forms "Icarus" (Threespheres) Sounds like: Nothing else in the world matters.
1990s emo-ish bands such as American Football, Cap'n Jazz and At the Drive-In proved that music with that certain emotive drive could be groundbreaking and interesting. In recent years, however, the well of innovation seems to have run dry in the emo scene. All the same, if there is one up-and-coming band that lives up to the emo of yore, it's The Forms.
The Forms aren't really an emo band, and they aren't really in the emo scene. Most often, they end up getting labeled "indie" or something similarly general, possibly as a result of their residence in Brooklyn, arguably the indie rock capital of the United States. Truthfully, they aren't markedly more unusual than any of the other wildly different bands that get lumped under the indie moniker. However, the song craft that The Forms exhibit on their debut LP, "Icarus," blows away most everything in any scene today.
"Icarus" is a bit of an odd album. With 10 tracks, it clocks in with a running time of just 18 minutes and still leaves the listener feeling as though they just listened to a full course LP. That said, "Icarus" is also a mind-bogglingly fabulous album. The Forms master the art not of short songs, but of excellent songs that happen to be concise. Verses are choruses are bridges and vice versa, tempos smack you in the face when you think you can follow them, shrieking highs melt down to nuanced lows and build back up again, and it's all done with impeccable precision. The whole album fits together seamlessly as one ridiculously complex yet completely listenable song. To attempt to describe it is to not give it justice, as it is one of the most profound pieces of art this reviewer has ever experienced.
While The Forms are completely their own beast, melodic traits reminiscent of '90s emo are certainly noticeable. However, instead of becoming yet another commercial, obnoxiously whine-laden emo monstrosity, The Forms take the aesthetic and renew it completely. Fresh, interesting and full of passion, The Forms are very much one of the most promising up-and-coming artists.
-CAMERON CONWAY
