Visitor

To listen to Visitor is to imagine sitting on a park bench in a dilapidated post-apocalyptic Times Square overgrown with greenery and just soaking in the sounds of nature without any pollution or man-made noise.

Despite recording in a studio with a producer, the Philly band still thrive when their seams are showing.

Though the album might not have any kind of clear fully-formed artistic mantra, it does offer a thrilling, acute feedback loop of a band rapidly reinventing and evolving.

A wondrous, modernist mix of LiLiPUT, Hüsker Du and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

The sleeve of Visitor is а handsome portrait of the interior of a hipster house. The paintwork is rose pink and margarine yellow, all the doors are ajar, but the house is empty and has a sinister chill about it. Which is the exact opposite feeling you get listening to the album.

Visitor captures emotions and the way we react to them in a full spectrum of colour, moving away from the fairly two dimensional monochrome approach, as nothing is inherently sad or happy.

It’s all about atmosphere, depth of feelings and flowing in and out of your comfort zone with this latest album by Empath.

The incendiary intro that carries throughout, is the staple to a listening experience that it is as inventive as it is deranged in parts.

The second album from the Philadelphia noise-pop band comes with some great new sounds, but dials down some of the thrill and fervor that made their debut so exceptional.