I Can Lie To Anyone

Activity “In Another Way”

Activity’s first two albums both had a dense, dark atmosphere and general sense of unease, but their third, A Thousand Years In Another Way, feels a bit different. This time it’s more like a formless malevolence engulfing and permeating the music, encroaching from all angles and totally inescapable. It’s basically a record about trying to live with that evil presence – how it drags you down, how you push against it, how you try to get rid of it.

A lot of this comes down to guitarist Travis Johnson’s distinctive palette, largely produced using effects pedals he created himself for specific effects. Listen for the severe digital decay that arrives around the 4 minute mark of “In Another Way,” evoking cell phone interference, corrosive acid, and a slow, dull scrape. It’s contrasted with a far more delicate lead part, like this massive wave of indifferent destruction up against a small, plaintive melody that doesn’t quite have the strength to cohere into a proper solo. That’s the record in a nutshell, a weak and weary display of humanity standing up to careless cynicism and devastation.

Buy it from Bandcamp.