GENRE; Rock
RELEASE DATE; 28 November, 2025
RATING; 3/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plosivs’ YELL AT CLOUD is a taut, restless second album that finds the punk/indie supergroup sharpening its blunt edges into something unexpectedly luminous. From the opening salvo — tense, interlocking guitars and Atom Willard’s military-precise drumming — the record insists on momentum: short fuses, propulsive rhythms, and vocal lines that trade between John Reis and Rob Crow with sly telepathy. The band’s pedigree shows, but never as nostalgia; instead these players use their history to remix urgency and keep the songs breathless rather than reverent.
Lyrically the album tilts toward existential skirmishes. Tracks like “Death Kicks In” and “Storm Machine” hustle between bleak imagery and small consolations, finding pop-minded hooks beneath uneasy subject matter. It’s a credit to the production that the record feels claustrophobic at times yet often opens into sudden harmonic release — those stacked vocal passages act as balm instead of ornament.
Across streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon) the album’s 10 songs land with consistent clarity, and listeners will catch the same jagged melodicism whether spun on vinyl from Swami Records or tapped in an app. The physical release and Swami’s liner notes frame YELL AT CLOUD as a deliberate, darker pivot from their debut, and that intentional shadow makes the brighter moments hit harder.
If the record has a flaw it’s pacing: the relentless forward drive occasionally leaves little room for breath, and the final pair of songs don’t fully sustain the earlier momentum. Still, Plosivs deliver a compact, invigorating statement — a grown-up band that remembers how to sound young, furious, and unafraid. For fans of jagged post-punk and literate indie rock, YELL AT CLOUD rewards repeat listens. Standout moments feel immediate and lived-in, and while it’s not flawless, this album confirms Plosivs remain essential players in contemporary underground rock and will age well.
