Album Review: Institute - Catharsis

There’s a lot to take in on Austin punk subverters Institute’s debut album, Catharsis.

The title might refer to the feeling of thrashing out angst in sonic form, but could just be the flipping off of convention, incorporating everything from post-punk dirge and Krautrock mantras to acoustic guitars to their staunch outsider abrasions. It’s merely a chaotic broken-glass backdrop that allows lead Moses Brown to self-flagellate over the top — Perpetual Ebb, Admit I’m Shit and Cheerlessness are just three indicators of the inexorable downward spiral we’re on. Nevertheless, this purging is cathartic for all.