Aswekeepsearching has been doing their thing for a while; even today, people are into their blend of post-rock and rock (and other genres from time to time). It’s pretty crazy that their new single ‘Rooh’ is probably the closest they’ve come to a real switch-up of their sound in a while. And it’s all in the details. The song itself might bear some resemblances to their older work, but there are some things going on here that are quite fresh.

First of all, this is probably Awks’ most upfront-sounding song in a long time (maybe ever). Gone are the days of old where some elements would take a back seat and just be background texture while Uddipan Sarmah’s vocal did some soaring stuff at the front of the mix. That post-rock sound worked for them, obviously, but the genre has not aged well over the last few years. ‘Rooh’ is in its heart a straight up rock song, and that really helps its cause. The guitars and bass are right in front of the mix and do most of the heavy lifting instead just being textural mush. The drums don’t really need to have tons of reverb and stuff, so they are also punchy and full of life. And most importantly, Uddipan has a bit of space to experiment with his vocals. His delivery here is a honky, more dynamic one. It lends itself to the narrative of the track. The song itself is also structurally detailed. A clean intro leads into a vocal passage that doesn’t overstay its welcome (the one thing all post-rock songs inadvertently end up doing). The energy keeps increasing until the end of the track, where everything is brought home by a legitimately heavy, distorted outro. It’s probably one of the most carefully written track Awks has put out. The electronic flourishes and synths that come in the song’s latter half also do a lot. All in all, it’s a big improvement sonically.

It’s gratifying to finally hear a post-rock-inspired track that really pops. If the rest of the full-length album of the same name has this kind of sonic direction, it might be the right choice to make. Here’s hoping this increased conviction and confidence isn’t a one-off.

Watch the official music video of ROOH below: