Back in 2012 and 2013, The Act of Estimating as Worthless released two superior albums that followed in the footsteps of the likes of A Weather and fused orchestral folk with the intimacy of bedroom pop. The result was the unlikely effect of sounding at once personal and sweeping, either end of the deal keeping the other in check. This allowed the band to circumvent the saccharine faux-naivety that sometimes creeps into bedroom pop, while also keeping the grand arrangements rooted to a relatable human core.
The project ended with those releases, some members passing into the equally excellent Real Life Buildings, though 2019 will see a new band rise from the ashes. Act Of will release a full album in the coming months, and, excitingly, have released two tracks to (re)introduce themselves.
‘An Invitation’ is as poetic a song about leaving an unattended pan on a high heat as you’re ever likely to hear (they describe the resulting smoke as “a supercell storm cloud rising,” if you need evidence). In terms of vocals, the members of Act Of sometimes take turns and sometimes bring all their distinctive voices together, making for a poignant and unpredictable ride.
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‘I Am a Fungus’ begins quiet too, although eventually muscular guitars crank up the energy, and the whole thing blossoms into wide-screen indie rock. Again, there’s a poetic style to the vocals, though the abstract images and actions coalesce into something altogether more tangible, sounding like longing and confusion recorded and committed to tape. The tone hovers somewhere between desperate and adamant, and within the growing fervour stirs a sense of hope, as if the correct string of notes and words might transcend the situation, the requisite level of conviction.
“darling blue eyes turn around again
help me realize that I’m not dead yet
I’m just hungrier now than I’ve ever been
alone at last all alone
and I guess this is my home”
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Both songs are great, and we can’t wait to hear the rest of the record. You can listen both of them over at the Act Of Bandcamp page, although you’ll need to wait for the full release to purchase anything.