Planer – Feel It Too / Dial
Minneapolis-based quartet Planer recently released a two-song split featuring two new songs, “Feel It Too” and “Dial.” The band specializes in a sludgy amalgamation of ’90s grunge; Midwest, DIY-style emo, and post-rock. Influenced strongly by the Big Muff and Rat (TM) warriors of the ’90s – think J. Mascis or Kevin Shields – with a healthy dose of contemporaries like Cloakroom, Superheaven, and Citizen. Ruthlessly sincere and with a true, genre-confirming DIY energy, Feel It Too / Dial feels timeless and contemporary all the same.
Opener “Feel It Too” is perfect post-rock-influenced emo. A simple, descending guitar lead is all it takes to know this one’s going to crush your spirit in the best way. Heavily distorted guitars jangle atop a sloshy drumbeat. Vocals sigh and moan with genuine hurt. The song itself even implodes on itself, gradually degrading over time into nothingness… But Planer’s real strength comes from their penchant for writing genuinely hooky melodies. It’s one thing to capture a group of musicians making heartfelt music together – it’s a completely different skill to make it catchy. Planer has an uncanny knack for writing hooks on top of real emotion, whether it’s a noodly guitar riff or an ear-catching vocal run, and that’s exactly what takes post-rock bands like this from their basement to your favorite playlist.
“Dial” is an interesting juxtaposition to its predecessor. The band plays around with a more upbeat tonality – think Great Grandpa’s earlier stuff or Speedy Ortiz’s wry wit – while still maintaining their sludgy sadness. Once again, the band masterfully weaves cogent melodies on top of warm and fuzzy guitar tones. At just under seven minutes, both songs conclude… But Planer’s the type of band where split releases like this just sort of work, and it serves to leave the listener wanting even more.
What else is up in Planer’s world? Planer were voted one of the Top Ten New Bands by 89.3 The Current and were also featured on a Minneapolis-centric compilation called MELT ICE. Always nice to see sludgy, emo-adjacent bands doing good things.
Check out Feel It Too / Dial via the bandcamp embed below. You can also find Planer on Spotify.
Categorised in: Album Reviews
This post was written by Nick Sessanna