Exploded View write many components of their songs to sound as though they’re falling away at a far distance. The trio’s sparse rhythms and fluttering electronics often melt so deep into the backgrounds of their tracks that you feel left with no other choice but to try and follow their postpunk- and industrial-influenced noise down whichever rabbit holes they’ve fallen into. Thankfully, there’s the limber voice of Annika Henderson—which sounds half rapturous, half mad—to tentatively guide you through the switchbacks. On their new full-length, September’s Obey (Sacred Bones), Exploded View blend a soaring, humming single such as “Sleepers” with a drilling, propulsive track such as closer “Rant” without losing their focus on designing a soundscape that simultaneously comes across like it’s on fire and in bloom. Good luck trying to find your way out of their explorations—though you might never want to leave. v
