Car Seat Headrest’s 2020 album Making A Door Less Open arrived during a period of confinement for many, but had been conceived as a project that would land in more normal times. On it songwriter Will Toledo had taken the bold decision to pivot away from the indie prog which had made homegrown albums like Teens of Denial viral hits, moving instead towards greater musical abrasion.
Toledo also took that opportunity to introduce the boiler-and-mask suited character Trait, but despite the mixed reception for what would become known as MADLO and the apparent safety of face coverings, eventually he fell victim to a form of long COVID and the band were unceremoniously pulled off the road.
Happily they’re now working on MADLO’s follow up, but Faces From The Masquerade captures the best of a three night run of gigs in Brooklyn that took place in March 2022. Opening with the mesmeric and not previously played live Crows, despite singer and band’s sometimes meek outward image the sinuous Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales, Deadlines and the epic Beach Life-In-Death reveal a shared dynamic presence – with an audience filled with reciprocity. With the unique power of hindsight, things make greater sense.
You can read a full review here.
The Voice Of Unreason 