Like sonic styles before it, indietronica rose from obscurity to ubiquity to being absorbed & changed. New York’s +/- helped invent the sound, but never went EDM or anything, instead appearing & disappearing. It’s been ten years since their last album, Jumping the Tracks (QRO review), but Further Afield showcases how well they sound with their sound.
After smooth instrumental opener “Intentionally Left Blank”, Afield has that mixture of pressure and hope brought through on the band’s excellent balance of electronics and rock. There’s the great acceptance of “Gondolier”, followed by the killer press of “Driving Aimlessly (Redux)”. And the group has their compelling outlook, world-weary but not broken, still looking forward like with “Contempt”.
Too many of our favorite bands & sounds have fallen away, or declined into pure nostalgia niche. It’s particularly wonderful that +/- is back, and still doing it so well.
