A Future Lived in Past Tense

A Future Lived in Past Tense is the Seattle band's second full-length album, recorded with the help of hometown friends Nick Harmer (of Death Cab for Cutie) and Nate Mendel (of Foo Fighters) playing bass. The record ups the ante thrown down by their 1999 debut, This Is the Way It Goes and Goes and Goes, building on their long-held interest in combining the vehement intensity of punk bands like Fugazi and Husker Du -- evoked most strongly here by Carstens' raspy Bob Mould-like voice -- with elaborate soundscapes and a deeply affecting moodiness that makes their songs at once radiant and miserable. The emotional release the album offers is only magnified by the band's live show, where they discharge all of the songs' passion and bile in an overwhelming fusillade. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!