E - Living Waters (Silver Rocket)

Plenty of guitar bands these days attempt to revive the spirit of the nineties, when six-string noise ran strong and melodies were plentiful. To these ears, however, it seems like that kind of sonic maelstrom is best swirled by those who were there the first time around. Singer/guitarists Thalia Zedek (Come, Live Skull) and Jason Sanford (Neptune) have been skronking and blasting since the eighties and nineties respectively; joined by new drummer Ernie Kim in their power trio E, they’ve kept the spirit of nineties alternative rock not only alive, but thriving. Living Waters, the triad’s fifth album, continues pushing its creators’ envelopes, with customized instruments, extremely subtle use of loops, and an ever-evolving songwriting palette. Guitars riff, slash, slither, smash, and sing, layering over each other with precision that sounds improvised, and spontaneity that feels composed. The tunes fracture and wobble, but never fall apart – the chaos remains perfectly controlled no matter how freaked out it threatens to scream. “Jumprope,” “Postperfect Confidential,” “Clarion,” and the title track capture the band’s distinctive vision at its best: cogent and contemporary and defiantly, shockingly beautiful. This band has never faltered or released a subpar album, but even within those parameters, Living Waters may be E’s best LP yet.