Photo by Jess Lynn Goss

A few things have changed in Aluminum’s world since releasing their listmaking shoegaze scene debut, Full Beat. Drummer Chris Natividad exited the band to focus on his other bands in Marbled Eye and Blue Zero, but it was any swap in membership anyhow, as his Blue Zero drummer Rick Altieri departed to join Aluminum behind the kit.

As for the shoegaze scene overall, these pages is observing — and hopefully not jinxing it in doing so — that as of this year, we’ve finally gotten through all of those dreary soundalikes meshing into the same wave, and the bands who are making their own are standing the test of time. That’s certainly true in the San Fran quartet’s case, even if they’re murdering it with the lead single off their forthcoming sophomore follow-up, Iconoclast HaHa.

Those syrupy, psychedelic strains of Fully Beat‘s then-progressive noise-pop are but a residue on their skin with this one, as the listen pushes vibes aside in favor of letting the noise stay in as harder punk riffs aggress in urgency without fully departing the static. “You want it all / And you want me / Packaged up so politely,” Ryann Gonsalves derides the pressures of existing in a culture where we’re expected to be everything all at once, and spread too thin to satisfy anyone. In less than three minutes, Aluminum make the most of every second as if their lives depended upon it.

Director: Ryann Gonsalves

Aluminum’s Iconoclast HaHa will be released October 30th on Felte Records.