Cal Cashin reviews Symbols, the 2023 sophomore album by Brussels-based experimental rock trio Sergeant, released on an unspecified label. The band, featuring Benjamin Cools, Ferre Marnef, and newcomer Geraldine Vanspauwen, crafts plunderphonic compositions blending post-punk guitars, dub basslines, and psychedelic collages reminiscent of DJ Shadow and The Avalanches. The album’s eight tracks employ hauntological sound design and dislocated dual vocals that orbit unsettling, uncanny soundscapes. Notable tracks include ‘Oh Sweet Martyrdom of Not Knowing How to Speak but Only Bark,’ which pairs existential lyrics with scrambled psychedelia. Cashin praises Symbols’ seamless production and textural complexity, arguing its deliberate unease and restlessness create charm through discomfort—twin vocal moons drifting through celestial, ghostly arrangements that simultaneously alienate and enchant listeners across 41 minutes.
Original article published on The Quietus — AI-generated summary.
