Review - "GLOOM DIVISION" by I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME
Full of tastefully stanky bass lines and led by an incredibly dynamic vocalist, iDKHOW's sophomore effort measures up in strength to the band's 2020 debut.
“Don't push me around,
I don't wanna see you buried six feet underground…”
Salt Lake City isn’t exactly a huge exporter of music, but one of the most recent names to make it big out of that city is I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME, the brainchild of Dallon Weekes, formerly of Panic! At the Disco (a band that I, admittedly, never really could stand - forgive me if you are a fan). I heard about iDKHOW on and off for quite awhile, but only picked up their debut record “Razzmatazz” in mid-2023 out of genuine curiosity. What I found was an incredibly playful, deeply-2000’s sounding alt-pop-rock record that sounded like a wild collaboration between Muse, The Killers, and Jack White (who all incidentally are and were alt-pop-rock standards of the 2000’s and 2010’s).
Fast forward a few months from my first listen, and iDKHOW are back with their sophomore effort, “GLOOM DIVISION” which is equally playful and equally fun. This record glories in the precise musical niche that iDKHOW have established themselves in, and it revels in it - unfortunately sometimes to a fault. “GLOOM DIVISION” does take more liberties with branching out in style than its predecessor, but not by nearly as much as it could, and that is its biggest weakness. If you liked “Razzmatazz,” then you will definitely like “GLOOM DIVISION,” but don’t expect anything unexpected.
Now, none of this is to say that this is a bad record. In fact, I’d argue the opposite is true. It’s a tremendously solid record, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed on my first listen. After a jarring opener, the record leads directly into iDKHOW’s strengths - catchy melodies propelled by one guitar riff leading right into another, cryptic lyrics crooned by Weekes’ talented falsetto, and some tastefully stanky bass lines (particularly on the track “GLOOMTOWN BRATS”). It’s as equally guitar-driven as it is bass-driven, tied together by one heckuva vocalist who definitely picked up his vocal style from the pop punk scene. Where this record really shines, though, is on “WHAT LOVE?” and “SIXFT” which are each much slower tracks than the rest of the record. The slower pace gives way for the iDKHOW to really shine - “WHAT LOVE?” is far groovier than any other track from iDKHOW with its leading bass, whereas “SIXFT” just allows Weekes’ vocals to take the lead above the noise.
Overall, “GLOOM DIVISION” is a consistent and solid record. It’s one that I will probably return to just as much as iDKHOW’s debut, even if it doesn’t branch out as much as I would like it to. If you’re a fan of The Killers, Jack White, Muse, or any other 2000’s alt-rock staple, pick up this record and give it a listen - you won’t be disappointed.
Overall Rating: 7.3/10
Top Tracks:
- GLOOMTOWN BRATS
- WHAT LOVE?
- SIXFT