Enumclaw Home in Another Life

When Enumclaw's debut LP, Save the Baby, first burst into the scene, it signaled a young Washington band embracing their hometown state's music history with their '90s-indebted sound. And while noisier aspects of their sound point to a heavier sonic imprint, it's always been lead singer-songwriter/guitarist Aramis Johnson's goal, who once cited Oasis and Drake as influences, to write hook-driven anthems. And, to a large degree, his raw, heart-on-sleeve sentiments are easy to connect or empathize with. Whether it's through the J Mascis-like fuzz of Not Just Yet or the buzzsaw, angsty rhythms of Jawbreaker on This Light of Mine, Johnson's lackadaisical, slightly off-key timbre matches his despair and utter abnegation. Even the amusingly titled I Still Feel Bad About Masturbation, upon closer listen, details Johnson struggling to find his place in times of deep turmoil. Johnson and his bandmates shake off their anguish with sweeping, lighthearted melodies that, instead of weighing you down, lift you up.