Lithium Zion

Deaf Wish came by their music's volatility honestly: the distortion and feedback-laden outbursts of their early albums were mirrored by their frequent lineup changes and hiatuses. Once they signed to Sub Pop, their roster and sound steadied, and on Lithium Zion, they take another step toward bringing order to their glorious chaos. For the first time in its career, the band recorded in an honest-to-goodness studio (Melbourne's Head Gap Recording, to be exact). Trading up from basement recording spaces gives Deaf Wish the room -- in both senses of the word -- to grow. In the best possible way, their fifth album sounds more crafted than anything they've done previously. While 2015's Pain introduced more melody and structure, Lithium Zion is almost as big a leap as that album was from their early output. "Easy"'s surging riffs prove that a more deliberate Deaf Wish is even more formidable, while "The Rat Is Back" matches its heft with hooks and "Afraid for You" flirts with prettiness. The