Album: “Memory Lanes” by Disorientations

Hailing from Antwerp, Belgium comes brilliant young Post/Punk trio Disorientations with their quite excellent debut album “Memory Lanes”. While not exactly the name on everybody’s lips on the Alternative music circuit, this collection of ten songs might just change that opinion. Not for quite a while have I been so literally blown away by a debut release as this.

Memory Lanes opens with 2020’s self-released single “Wandering”. That twisting, swirling intro evokes memories of Post/Punk’s “First Wave” where it all began. Grinding guitars thud their way in, just atop the snare-driven drums. Then the classic Dark Wave vocalising appears – a sharp intelligent delivery amid a nasal whine that keeps you interested. That throbbing bass in the intro matches the guitar swirls, before the vocal potency kicks back in. To finish the chiming chords take it to a wonderful conclusion. What an entrance and there’s more where that came from…

“Words” is another intricate affair, with (dare I suggest) a nod to The Edge (U2) in the opening guitar notes, before detouring in a more Gang of Four direction. Niels (vocals/guitar) stretches his vocal, layer upon layer and his swirling chimes again take centre stage. The bridge allows for some chord experimentation as it squeals to a sharp finish. “Don’t” – don’t what? I don’t know the meaning of this spelling, neither care to. Lukas’s (bass) bass-heavy intro is then joined by Niels shimmering chords. His vocal reminds me of Indie underachievers “Eagulls”. Those layered vocals bellow out from low to high while a Peter Hook-inspired bridge is not out of place mid-song. Lyrically emotional with potent chiming chords right up to the song’s ending.

“Watching You Go” opens with more snare battering from Tomas (drums), again remaining in the personal lyrically. A flabby bass creates a brief but early bridge but that drum pattern takes centre stage, joined by a more subtle bass part later in the background. The guitars then kick in, stretching the sound to its limits. The vocal then becomes more emotional, right up to the bass-heavy ending. “Allied” enters a wonderfully chiming guitar part while the vocal again has echoes of Eagulls. Said vocal becomes more haunting and desperate as those chiming chords really pummel your senses like an earworm embedding itself within. Then; half expectedly, that Hooky-esque bass jockeys for attention above those ear-piercing chimes.

“Waiting For” explodes into life with energy and more than a nod to early Banshees. The vocal however arrives more infectious while the pulsating beat races along with Budgie-esque hitting and a cacophony of cymbal bashing. Not to be outdone the whirring bass enters the fray as the frenetic chords drive towards a blunt end. “Head” comes next as the pace is unrelenting. A much more Electro sound with accompanying vocals is the main staple here. Furious yet vibrant but still finding space for a mid-song breather, until an echo-fed vocal part ups the pace to another sharp finish. ‘Leftover’ is anything but with its clear and audible, Goth-influenced vocal which is pure (black) gold. That flabby bass encourages another chiming bridge; multi-layered, while the vocal reappears slightly less authoritative.

“Close To Disappearing” was the first single release from this album and is powerful from the outset. That whining nasal vocal is just about audible behind the bellowing chords. The rat-a-tat drumming is the driving force but yet again those chimes just grab your attention. Closing this wonderful collection is “Zinfandel”, with its thumping drum intro which just builds and builds. More chimes and a caustic vocal give it that eerie feel of the “live set closer”. It just accelerates as Niels just howls the lyrics amid the wall of sound – it’s shambolic in its simplicity.

There are few albums these days where I’m blown away on first listen – this however is that rarity. Full-on with all the elements of Post/Punk’s First Wave and beyond. Whether Post/Punk is your preferred genre or not I implore you to invest in this fine record and immerse yourself in its majesty!

Band members
Lucas Van Camp – (Bass)
Tomas Serrien – (Drums)
Niels Elsemans – (Vocals/Guitar)

Track listing
Wandering
Words
Don’t
Watching You Go
Allied
Waiting For
Head
Leftover
Close to Disappearing
Zinfandel

Pre-order the album here

Links
https://www.facebook.com/Disorientations
https://disorientations.bandcamp.com

Review by Ross A. Ferrone.