Deaf Wish came by their music's volatility honestly: the distortion and feedback-laden outbursts of their early albums were mirrored by their frequent lineup changes and hiatuses. Once they signed to Sub Pop, their roster and sound steadied, and on Lithium Zion, they take another step toward bringing order to their glorious chaos. For the first time in its career, the band recorded in an honest-to-goodness studio (Melbourne's Head Gap Recording, to be exact). Trading up from basement recording spaces gives Deaf Wish the room -- in both senses of the word -- to grow. In the best possible way, their fifth album sounds more crafted than anything they've done previously. While 2015's Pain introduced more melody and structure, Lithium Zion is almost as big a leap as that album was from their early output. "Easy"'s surging riffs prove that a more deliberate Deaf Wish is even more formidable, while "The Rat Is Back" matches its heft with hooks and "Afraid for You" flirts with prettiness. The band doesn't put too fine a point on refining things, though -- since their beginnings were so raw, this cleaned-up incarnation is far from slick. Woollier moments like the title track and "Hitachi Jackhammer" prove Deaf Wish's heart still belongs to the brash, clanging sounds of '80s post-punk and college rock. On "Ox," they show off their prowess at wielding feedback like an instrument, a skill few 2010s bands borrowing from that era have bothered to master. And though Deaf Wish remain true to their democratic songwriting roots, Lithium Zion's MVP has to be guitarist/vocalist Sarah Hardiman. "You lay down in the dirt/You get dirty, you get hurt," she growls on "FFS," a controlled burn of frustration that immediately makes itself known as one of Deaf Wish's best songs. Later, her vocals on "Deep Blue Cheated" and the Eric's Trip-like "Birthday" bring the wounded side of the band's music into clearer focus than ever before. By the time "Smoke" distills the album's journey from fierce to vulnerable and back again, Lithium Zion reveals Deaf Wish are now as articulate as they are furious -- a subtle but vital change that makes this their finest work yet. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi

1		Easy
2		FFS
3		Metal Carnage
4		The Rat Is Back
5		Ox
6		Hitachi Jackhammer
7		Lithium Zion
8		Deep Blue Cheated
9		Birthday
10		Afraid For You
11		Smoke

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