Cloakroom, a staple of the shoegaze scene with over a decade’s worth of prior discography, are on the cusp of releasing their latest album 'Last Leg of the Human Table', which the band have referred to as an exploration of “what it means to be human and the high cost of the human experience”. The album takes listeners on a hazy journey through abstract glimpses of life, emotion and longing, whilst all ten tracks act as time capsules to capturing different aspects of humanity, underpinned with an existential insecurity.
‘The pilot’ kicks off the album with a strong reverb that at times feels as though it pays homage to punk or Midwest emo, while Doyle Martin’s vocals give an interesting juxtaposition to the strength of the instrumentation. Conceptually, the heavy guitar and drums feels as though it should drown out the much softer, almost indecipherable vocals, but instead both elements hold equal weight within the track, creating a soundscape that immerses the listener. About three minutes in, a guitar solo takes centre stage, its haunting overtones replicate the previous vocals and flipping this dynamic on its head, reshaping the narrative into something transformative.
By comparison, ‘Ester Wind’ opens with a classic ‘rebellious’ 90s sound, the drums taking centre stage and vocals both rhythmic and repetitive. Listening to 'Ester Wind' sounds like staying up too late as a teenager and catching cartoons on Adult Swim. It’s finding a slightly scratched Green Day CD in a local charity shop, and having just enough pocket money to purchase it. The reverberation and distortion, which progresses as the track continues, only add to the nostalgia it creates.
‘On Joy and Unbelieving’ is one of the two shortest tracks on the album, alongside its follow up ‘On Joy and Undeserving’. Where ‘...Unbelieving’ has a lighter energy, slowly built by looping chords that begin to build, until joined by bell chimes, ‘...Undeserving’ has a slower, heavier feel in part through the use of guitar. The soundscape that builds up in ‘On Joy and Undeserving’ comes across as melancholy and even slightly uneasy by the end, which mirrors the musical journey taken between both tracks in the form of ‘Unbelonging’, ‘The Lights Are On’, ‘Bad Larry’ and ‘The Story of the Egg’.
‘Unbelonging’ returns to the movie soundtrack style full of cross-genre references and styles found in earlier tracks. Certain chord progressions reminiscent of the Beatles or The Cure, while Martin’s vocals continue to coat the track in a haze broken through by patches of feedback that create a jarring sense of uncertainty. In comparison, ‘The Lights Are On’ combines many of the influences of ‘Unbelonging’ with stronger elements of indie. This song in particular feels suited to live listening at a gig, on vinyl or even cassette as the use of immersive reverb is slightly undermined through digital streaming.
The transition from ‘The Lights Are On’ with its ghostly echoes and soft sounds into the guitar of ‘Bad Larry’ is an intense mid-album wakeup call. This time taking instrumental and vocal influence from country and western music. The chorus is crooned in a southern accent, covering the classic country issues of heartbreak, moving on, loss and life. 'Bad Larry', to quote Martin, “roams free and wants for nothing; living a life of experience and lives by his own rules and dying on his own terms; a life to vilify or envy.”
‘The Story of the Egg’, on the other hand, takes a much more synth-driven sound that replaces the image of a truck stop with a high speed chase on the highway. Fast-paced where the former was stationary, energetic instead of reflective. Instrumentals do the majority of the work to carry the track, while vocals take a literal backseat on a journey that ends with what sounds like the sampling of an 80s radio station.
Finally, the album ends with ‘Cloverlooper’ and ‘Turbine Song’. ‘Cloverlooper’ encapsulates and revisits several of the themes, atmospheres and energies of tracks from the beginning of ‘Last Leg of the Human Table’, while ‘Turbine Song’ focuses on the soundscape of uncertainty. Insecurity, and a looping dread for the future that feels both futile and full of potential. It ends with the sound of wind that seems to stretch on forever.
Overall, this album was an enjoyable form of escapism. There are clear ties to a multitude of genres, while still being a primarily shoegaze project, and it captures what feels like several different but universal experiences of emotion. According to the band, the aim of this piece is to imbue the listener with responsibility. To take away the idea that, when it comes to the Last Leg of the Human Table, “if one leg were to falter, the whole table will fall”. In this area, it is not apparent how successful they have been at hammering home a message of social responsibility and community advocacy - but as an album, it was an enjoyable listen.
Score: 6/10
'Last Leg of the Human Table' will be released on February 28th 2025 via Closed Casket.
Words: Q Cummins
Photo: Vin Romero
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