The View From This Tower

Excellent musicianship was always a hallmark of the D.C. post-hardcore scene, but the sole full-length from Faraquet set a new benchmark, uniting punk urgency with prog-caliber chops. Album opener “Cut Self Not” may be the closest thing in the Dischord catalog to a math-rock anthem, somehow holding its hooky center despite its flurry of ornate riffs, and wealth of tempo changes and tricky detours. Guitarist Devin Ocampo and drummer Chad Molter (who occasionally swapped instruments and vocal duties) and bassist Jeff Boswell are an especially versatile crew, excelling both during the album’s jagged energy spikes and subtler, quirkier passages, filled out with cello, trumpet and auxiliary percussion. In lesser hands, the surfeit of ideas here would feel like a hodgepodge, but Faraquet make it all cohere beautifully.