It’s a rather remarkable thing when a band like Early Day Miners stays under the radar for so long. Six full-length records into the game and they remain a niche band, whose name rarely gets brought up within indie rock discusssions. Enter The Treatment, the aforementioned sixth full-length. This is where things will probably change for Early Day Miners.
Many will call The Treatment,this Indiana foursome’s “Pop” record. While the record begins with an unabashed bass hook on “In The Fire,” there still remains many complex layers within the Miners slow, building sound to keep listeners intrigued instead of being overwhelmed. The Miners determined rhythm section figures prominently on The Treatment; yet very rarely does it become a prodding sound. The Miners ability to blend each and every layer of atmospheric delights with apparent ease is what keeps The Treatment afloat.
A familiar beat loops throughout “How To Fall,” a groovy, tribal mash of fading guita, with echoes of “Sympathy For The Devil.” They’re points when you imagine each layer breaking down in the sonic equivalent of a wretched Earthquake. After all, so many of the Miners ambient and slo core peers let their songs devolve just for the sake of sounding weird. But Early Day Miners exercise just the right amount of restraint on The Treatment, never freaking out and lending their sound to the unnecessary. This is sound of a band chalk-full of experience taking progressive and positive steps not just for the betterment of their records, but for their entire aesthetic as a sonic force.
By Joshua Kloke
[Rating: 3.5/5]
