Spectreview: Henderson Century – 100

-DARK ORANGE-

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Philly’s John Sciortino (aka Henderson Century) operates in the flexible sound of post-rock, writing reverb-smudged, amnesia-ridden songs that evoke the genre’s underlying touchstones of emo. His second album, 100, pushes the needle into the red way more often than his comparatively quiescent debut, House Is Standing Very Old, but the starkly beautiful melodies and blurry vocals that are coming to define this act are still here. One one hand, there’s no denying the value of this formula, especially when paired with an upgrade in sound quality thanks to a more professional mastering job; on the other, Sciortino’s focus on infusing his songs with aspects of traditional indie-rock somewhat diminishes the structural nebulousness that made his previous work so captivating. Tracks like the bright, keyboard-led “Show” and the rippling “Sweet” recall the narcotic confusion of DIIV’s Is The Is Are, even excluding the comparisons to Zachary Cole Smith’s vocal performances; wilder tracks, like the chaotically burning “Dreamer,” lean towards shoegaze (e.g. the controlled rush of A Sunny Day In Glasgow). Still, the record is most effective outside its self-made boundaries: the slow burn of closer “Base” makes excellent use of a laconic drum part, dirge-like keys and a violin sample, providing a graceful landing from the record’s emotive explosiveness. 100 is a short listen but an overall impactful one, certainly capable of branding the brain with its white-hot sear.

Recommended for drowning in depressants.