Album Review: Slaves - Take Control

Last year was big for Slaves, a top ten debut at home, sold out shows, and a slew of accolades and accomplishments, but instead of using their second term to enter the decadent expanse of a follow up production - smoothing out the dents and applying endless lacquer - they've honed in on the aggression of unheard facts as delivered by blunt instruments.

Take Control feels like a step away from the light, their lo-fi grit augmented by something purposefully darker. Their adherence to a minimalist tool set feels thicker this time, hearty and distorted, like porridge with chunks of indignation and social injustice floating in it. The whole undertaking is candidly aggressive, brash and unapologetic, but they outright ask you to own it on the album open, Spit It Out, "What are you gonna do about it?"

There are a few sidesteps from the fog; Consume Or Be Consumed, the Mike D feature, is fun (though it's hard to gauge his presence through the rest of the production). Angelica is an anti-love slow dance, Lies swings as far as it's willing for the pop fences, synth-softened Steer Clear has Baxter Dury pleading for safe driving etiquette, and even some skits thrown in like leftover leavening — but more than any other piece, they feel like out of place vestiges from previous efforts.

Fame seems to have grown on Slaves like a moss of conscience, as if knowing they were being listened to. They now want to make sure they are being heard. Good thing they've got something to say.