From Bandcamp, “A study in contrasts, Let The Light In is simultaneously SOM’s catchiest and heaviest record, pushing boundaries with dissonance and noise while uncovering surprising moments of tranquility; the calm within the storm. With a unique sound dubbed “Doom Pop” by Metal Injection, SOM’s dreamy shoegaze roots are on display but there is heaviness and heft at its core that is bracing and ferocious. “Let The Light In” sees SOM turn their sights inward, towards our most primal impulses; seeking solace and reconciliation from the vibrance within ourselves and the people we hold close.”

The album has eight songs, and “Don’t Look Back” is first. It has a weighted sound, but the clean vocals rise above it like the sun coming up over the horizon. It is also tinged with darkness, and I get some ASTRONOID vibes here in the way that the music connects with the vocals. The title track boasts some unabashed melodies that are there for the taking. The song is still quite somber, however, but it’s a study in contrast, and the way that the two opposing sounds can find solace together. “Chemicals” has brighter melodies and big hooks that will lure you into the room that is still cold and dark. Bass guitar thumps away at the bottom end with thick notes that seem to vibrate your soul.

“The Place That I Belong” has strong vocal hooks that combine with a heavy Post-Rock feeling for me, and throw in some psychedelic elements while you are at it. “Give Blood” has a weighted and emotional sound that will surely tug at the deadest inside music consumers out there…how can it not? The vocals are so damn pretty. “Nightmares” has another crushing low end that’s weight is only counterbalanced with the harmonized vocals. They keep the song from piling up on your back and pulling you under. “Under Streetlights” has a melancholy groove in it that just gets stuck in your head and takes up residence there. As it plays, I am carried away to somewhere else…a place where the music seems to last forever.

“The Light” closes the album and proves to be the one thing that can rise above all of the darkness in the world. It causes some of the grey tones to fade just enough for you to be able to live with them. It’s the pacing of the album that is one of the keys to the band’s sound, and obviously, the combination of hardened elements with dreamy vocals. It has been done before, but not so profoundly. They do it in a way that makes you want it, need it, and even crave it. It’s like the cold stinging of heavy rain that is refreshing by the time the storm passes through, and it leaves you clean in its wake.