Preoccupations - Ill at Ease LP

**Ltd Blue Cloudy Vinyl Edition "I can't believe the apocalypse is taking so long," Preoccupations' Matt Flegel sings on Ill at Ease. Though this band has made a career out of the tension of hoping for and dreading the end in equal measure -- their name is Preoccupations, after all -- their fifth album brings fresh, often moving, perspectives to times of crisis. Instead of the murky sonics that made Arrangements an occasionally challenging listen, Ill at Ease is crafted from glassy layers of guitars and electronics that let listeners get close to Flegel's voice and words. As on New Material, this blend of polished sounds and brooding lyrics suits Preoccupations well, and "Focus" reaffirms their skill at pairing classic-sounding post-punk riffs and hooks with striking imagery all their own (in this case, broken centrifuges). Ill at Ease might offer the most organic blend of the band's winding experimentalism and not-so-secret pop leanings, with shifting, shadowy tracks like the title tr