ESTHESIS is a post-progressive & alternative rock band from Toulouse (France), with strong cinematic, industrial and post-rock vibes. This is their latest effort, titled "Out of Step," and it has eight songs. "Connection" is first. It saunters out of the gate tentatively, with keyboards and meaty bass notes. The vocals are smooth, and then a hardened riff enters. Haunting tones occupy the background, and there is just enough sonority to pique your curiosity in wanting to hear more. "The Frame" was the first official video released ahead of the album. The background is like a churning sky before a storm. The winds pick up, and clouds race across the sky. The sound is somber, emotional, and intriguing, and the vocals and music hang in perfect symmetry. The suspension of the big release is what they do so well.

"Fractured #1" is a short interlude, continuing to build the atmosphere with more bricks. The keyboards are smooth, and the sound settles in and mellows, but tension is still very much alive. "Out of Step" is the lengthy song on the album, and the band takes advantage of that and sets out on an expedition. It's a journey fraught with peril as much as self-discovery. Bass and drums create the groove. "I just think I'm out of step with the world" he muses. Keyboard notes rise like sirens in the mist, and all of sudden, you lose your bearings. Some darkness enters, and through the tunnel, you can see the light at the other end, but you just can't get there. "City Lights" is another moody offering, but the mood is just a bit brighter. Guitar and piano play supporting passages here, and I get a melancholic 80's vibe. For me, it's like the charm and allure of a city after dark.

"Fractured #2" is another short segue piece, and it's dark, cold, and mysterious. "Circus" was the other single released ahead of the album. It's mostly elegiac, but there are moments of haste and heighted awareness. The melody is simple, but very catchy. "The Storm" is longest. When you hear that word, it conjures up images of fear and destruction, and the entering thud of the bass notes hold that line. It's almost like you can see the storm approaching, and feel the winds pick up, and it threatens with great promise, but it passes over you. It's the anticipation of the event where much of the emotions in the song comes from. "Abyss" is the final song, a bonus track. It starts slowly, and gently, and darkness comes pouring in with the riff. It reaches out into the vastness of the void and then is consumed by it.

This is one of those albums that you put on a rainy day in late fall, snuggled up with a blanket, and you can easily get lost in it. There is plenty of weight on the album, especially the emotional side, but the album is more about the mood they set. Sinister at times, and more benign at others, it sweeps the listener off their feet and takes them to an unfamiliar world that is oddly comforting. This is, without a doubt, a band to keep an eye on, and this is a masterclass in the use of atmosphere and emotion in music.