A Way Forward [CD], Nation of Language, CD

Nation of Language's A Way Forward is more relaxed and confident than anything the Brooklyn band have done before. Released in May of 2020, their debut album, Introduction, Presence, did so much better than they'd ever imagined it would that they felt it best to trust themselves and follow their instincts on the resulting follow-up. Those instincts led them to a record more rooted in Krautrock and early electronic music, with influence from artists like Kraftwerk, Laurie Spiegel, and Cluster. A Way Forward feels even more like a journey than it's predecessor, something that can be followed from start to finish with greater emotional peaks and valleys and new sonic landscapes being explored. The highs are higher, the lows are lower, and there's a palpable gratitude of the ability to be present right now and experience any of these emotions at all.