Activity
A Thousand Years in Another Way
WESTERN VINYL
Their band name may be as generic as they come, but that accusation can’t be applied by any stretch of the imagination to the music of Activity, a pigeonhole-proof foursome from Brooklyn. A Thousand Years in Another Way is the third full-length by former Grooms band leader Travis Johnson, Russian Baths’ Jess Rees, bassist Bri DiGioia, and drummer Steven Levine (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s Brian Alvarez replaced Levine behind the kit after the recording of this new LP), and it’s manna from heaven for those obsessed with seeing how far a band can stretch the boundaries of indie rock.
Rees, DiGioia, and Johnson rotating vocal duties calls to mind Blonde Redhead, but the comparisons pretty much end there. In fact, while Blonde Redhead have a special ability to ensure each of their records maintains a consistent mood and sound throughout, Activity approach each of the 10 songs presented here with fresh ears. The record is all over the place, so much so that it resembles a compilation of songs culled from various stages in Activity’s lifespan instead of a coherent studio album—one that should be consumed from start to finish like a delicious entrée. It’s true that the record is radically, perhaps even righteously, diverse. But it’s not the equivalent of a bland buffet at Souplantation; rather, it’s a splendid array of tapas or a combination sushi platter at a classy restaurant.
To continue beating the proverbial dead horse, Activity revels in the freedom of taking A Thousand Years in Another Way in any direction they want at any given moment. Fans of Silversun Pickups will identify with in the cool-yet-haunting “In Another Way,” “Heavy Breathing,” and “A Beast.” The forlorn “A Piece of Mirror” and the even more tragic “We Go Where We’re Not Wanted” explore dreamy, electronic indie-pop like a paleontologist tirelessly excavating. The band’s decision to follow that couplet with the whimsical “You Dream” encapsulates the album: What wouldn’t make sense on paper turns out to be a stroke of genius in the hands of Activity.
Johnson delivers the most direct declaration on “I Came Here to Harm You,” in which he repeats that title’s refrain. Perhaps the song is a reference to an estranged friend or lover, but it certainly doesn’t apply to Activity’s relationship with the listener. With A Thousand Years in Another Way, the quartet came to make us think, feel, and restore our faith that they’ve discovered fertile indie-rock terrain that’s ripe for growth.
