Windwaker’s second album is a deeply complex psychological journey into the mind of a person with two conflicting personalities—one is quiet, timid, and compassionate, the other confident, opportunistic, and pessimistic. As the album progresses, each personality realizes it can’t exist without the other, leading to an uneasy acceptance of their respective strengths and flaws. It’s fitting that an album about contrasting character traits should boast so many contradictory musical styles. While the Melbourne outfit’s sound is built on a foundation of hardcore and metalcore, they gleefully incorporate lashings of rock, metal, hip-hop, EDM, dubstep, and punk. Opener “Infinity” (about being scared to commit in relationships, as told from the perspective of the timid protagonist) fuses crushing guitars and upbeat synths with the hardcore vocals of Liam Guinane (who steps up from his previous role as guitarist to replace former singer Will King), while “Get Out” features skittering electronic beats, alt-rock, brutal metalcore, and Southern hip-hop. “Haunting Me” (a love song from the quiet personality to the more confident one) exists in the world of soul and R&B, while “Vertigo” is a carnival ride of giants riffs, metalcore, dubstep, and eerie synths. It’s a heady mix, one that only offers respite in soothing closer “Juliet.” Reprising some of the lyrics from opener “Infinity,” it’s a full-circle moment that concludes the album by returning the listener to the beginning.
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