I really want to know where the emphasis lies in this band’s name – is it “Fuck Buttons” as in “buttons for fucking” or “Fuck Buttons,” because we hate buttons? Either way, I guess it’s a moot point – you still get to drop the F-bomb when saying their name.

And I’m going to drop one more F-bomb here – this album? It’s fucking brilliant. I didn’t expect to like it at all. When a press release mentions “drone” and “distorted vocals,” usually that means it falls way outside of my sonic understanding.

But this record works, on a completely different level than anything I’ve heard in a really long time. The drone is underlying everything, but it doesn’t get in the way of the strange melodies supplied on top of it. And the distorted vocals? They’re mixed extremely low so that they’re not distracting or annoying. They just sort of meld with the drone and work with it to create this total sonic mind-fuck (yeah, another F-bomb. Sorry Mom).

And before you realize it, the drone and all the other layers piled on top of it build into this intense wall of sound that all-consuming. Except you don’t realize it until the moment during the last track, “Colours Move”, when the drone completely drops off and all you’re left with are crystal clear piano notes. These guys are as skilled in their tension and release as Explosions in the Sky, without being so obviously melodic. That being said, though, videos of their live performances put me to sleep, while EITS’s live shows are just one adrenaline rush after another. Maybe you just have to be there.