Forth Wanderers (LP)

Forth Wanderers employ a tin-can-telephone style of composition which they use even when living in the same area code. Since first collaborating in 2013 as high schoolers, guitarist and songwriter Ben Guterl and vocalist Ava Trilling have passed songs back and forth like pen pals. Guterl will devise an instrumental skeleton before sending it to vocalist Ava Trilling who pens the lyrics based off the melody. The duo then gather alongside guitarist Duke Greene, bassist Noah Schifrin, and drummer Zach Lorelli to expand upon the demo.

It's a patient and practiced writing system that has carried the quintet through two EPs (2013's Mahogany, 2016's Slop) and one LP (2014's self-released Tough Love). Forth Wanderers, the group's sophomore record and Sub Pop debut, is the groups' most comprehensive and assured statement yet.

Recorded over five days by friend and audio engineer Cameron Konner at his Philadelphia home studio, Forth Wanderers amplifies the heartfelt sentiments of the band's earlier works into massive anthems. Guterl and Greene's guitars have never sounded so sharp, Schifrin and Lorelli's terse rhythm section is restless, and Trilling seems more self-assured than ever. "We have embraced our roles in the collaboration process", says Guterl. "Everyone's gotten better at their instruments and we trust each other more because we know how the machine works". This spirit soars through Forth Wanderers, resulting in exuberant, profound songs driven by tightly bound melodies and a loving attention to detail.