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A Place to Bury Strangers' self-titled album has an undeniable underground retro post-punk feel of late-'70s Manchester. It's a movement that dates back to when Joy Division and This Heat pioneered the cold, droning sounds that defined a genre.
The post-punk movement has seen an energetic revival in the past few years with bands like Interpol, The Rapture and Liars. It seems that APTBS released the album just in time for the '70s retro renewal.
The songs opening the album - "Missing You," "Don't Think Lover" and "The Falling Sun," - are textbook examples of post-punk. "Missing You" especially borrows heavily from Joy Division. Tracks like "Another Step Away" and "To Fix the Gash in Your Head" seem to be more new wave than the other offerings on the album, almost resembling New Order. Half of the album seems to be transported into the future from the early '80s.
"I Know I'll See You" and "She Dies" fall wonderfully into the shoe gaze category; these tracks sound like The Jesus and Mary Chain, and they're the staple of the album. Be aware that this album can be listened to in its entirety a few times at most; it is very repetitive. But if you take a week's hiatus, you're sure to unearth more musical gems when you turn it on again.
"A Place to Bury Strangers" should be picked up by any serious fan of the post-punk or shoe gaze scene. Albeit boring at times, the album can definitely stand on its own.
