“Monty Donahue” by Unwed Sailor

Unwed Sailor has been on quite a tear lately, releasing basically an album per year beginning with 2019’s Heavy Age. Clocking in at just around 36 minutes, this year’s Cruel Entertainment is one of the most succinct albums in the band’s oeuvre. It’s also one of their most aggressive, its nine songs all lean and no fat and, as always, built around Johnathon Ford’s bass, which sounds particularly booming on songs like “Rock Candy,” “Love Zoo,” and “Sad Help.”

But that doesn’t mean the band leaves no room for nuance; consider “BODYMOD”’s thoughtful piano coda or the various tonal shifts on “Monty Donahue.” Despite barely cracking three minutes, the latter is replete with Ford’s sinuous bass lines and sweeping guitars that shift and move in some surprising ways, and even make room for some groovy effects in its final half. In other words, yet another solid example of why Unwed Sailor remains one of our most consistent post-rock outfits.

Cruel Entertainment is currently available via Current Taste.