Spectreview: Parannoul/Asian Glow/sonhos tomam conta – Downfall of the Neon Youth

Released: October 22, 2021

Emo
(Shoegaze)
(Fifth-Wave Emo)

-YELLOW-

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Matthew Cruz’s kismet decision to take on some of the brightest voices in non-American emo must be met with praise. Three of the four artists on his Michigan-based label share this full-length split, and each turns out some of the best works of their young careers. It’s easy to identify the seams: São Paulo artist sonhos tomam conta indulges in the same lush fusion of post-rock, emo, and black metal that elevated wierd, while Asian Glow takes their trademark broad, math-y approach and fellow Seoul resident Parannoul handles the more gorgeous, arena-destined moments. But rather than a showcase of individual talents, Downfall of the Neon Youth comes across as a cohesive project on which the trio prioritizes shoegaze’s rapturous overwhelm and then uses those other disparate elements as seasoning.

It’s hard to pick a standout artist because of the collaborative focus, but Parannoul continues to demonstrate why he’s one of the most exciting voices in fifth-wave emo. His three main offerings hit with the force of a meteor. “Insomnia,” the shortest of the three, might be the ultimate highlight because it packs a great deal of power inside its relative succinctness, including a well-timed key change and a star-bound arpeggiation of synth notes that complements the track’s icy locale. But “Colors’” aurora borealis and “Love Migraine’s” flashlight-waving finale, each replicating the tense buildup that made “White Ceiling” such a success, are also excellent. These tracks finally solidify Parannoul as a gifted producer; just like his material on To See The Next Part of the Dream, these songs marry a rainbow of hues with the jaggedness and blinding sheen of metal, forming the distinct version of beauty crossed with ugliness that Deftones made a career on.

It’s easy to appreciate Parannoul’s approach because it easily hits the pleasure centers. You could easily make the argument that Asian Glow, whose Cull Ficle embraced fifth-wave emo’s multi-instrumental eclecticism, shines brightest. Here they continue their tack of light experimentalism. The record opens with “Nails,” a song that interrupts its gigantic riffs with atmospheric plucks and backmasked guitar in a concise advertisement for the record’s dense, beatific environment. On “Phone Ringing on Corridor” they up the ambition factor by swallowing their instruments in a rising sea of bitcrush, a trick that loses some of its power by its end but results in some affecting moments. “one May by Harming,” with its identifiable rock elements (a standard 4/4 signature, actual solos) and the brilliant experimental touches lifting it, outshines the others – it’s the best track here. It’s the consistency of the production job that allows these tracks, which might have suffered in a lower-fi setting, to shine; of the split, Asian Glow may offer the biggest revelation.

That leaves sonhos tomam conta, who pumps out three of the record’s densest tracks. While each relies on that reverb-laden “blackgaze” formula so much that they’re relatively indistinguishable from each other, they also benefit greatly from that consistent production job. The strongest cut here is “vento caminha comino,” a ringing smear of violet painted by melodious chords and a subtle lead, with a bombastic bridge halfway through that adds a deeper emotional heft to the track’s already-grandiose progression. “Todos os sonhos que eu tive,” another strong cut, carries a cathedral-like resonance that makes the track feel aqueous. “tons de azul,” the briefest track here, doesn’t differentiate itself enough from its siblings to do more than subdivide the record, but it still hits with a brutal force.

Holistically, Downfall of the Neon Youth reintroduces each of these artists – each a victim of recent success and hype – in a fresh, thrilling context. Whatever fifth-wave emo is or isn’t, this record makes a compelling argument for what it could be. It’s a perfectly assimilated plethora of genres; it’s a collaboration of like-minded spirits across geographical and identity-based borders; it’s a noticeable continuation of decades worth of influences; it’s a sound that transcends culture and language. English, Korean and Portuguese can each find a home on these songs because the lingua franca is raw nerve and unbridled despair. It’s too early to declare Downfall of the Neon Youth as a defining document of a nascent, controversially appointed genre label, but it’s also hard to imagine anything better serving such a role.

Highly recommended for an overpass.