KILLED BY THE ARCHITECTS “Tabula Rasa”

Self-released, 2022

Music: Post-Rock
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Killed-by-The-Architects-102904158959974
Duration: 41:00 (12 tracks)
Country: U.S.A

Tabula Rasa is a beautiful concept in psychology that suggests we are born without any built-in mental content, and that all knowledge comes from experience and perception. Ironically, I had no idea who Killed By The Architects were until I listened to their album “Tabula Rasa”. My feedback on the album comes with little to no prior knowledge about the band. This is going to be interesting…without further ado, let us dive right into it!

A bit of background, Killed By The Architects is the brainchild of the multifaceted songwriter, Jamie Berkes. Based out of Chicago and Jamie play a blend of Post-Punk and Indie Rock(trust me, I still find genre distinction super complicated!) under this moniker. “Tabula Rasa” perfectly captures the essence of his style and how the atmospheric elements are beautifully integrated into Punk-esque songs. Many have different opinions on how to listen to songs, but for this specific album, I would recommend connecting the best of the best headphones you have with you – else you will miss some of the very subtle yet powerful atmospheric sections.

Take “Can’t Stop Myself” for instance. The intro sets a mood with the drums taking it forward. The diversity in vocals is worth noting here as it flows perfectly throughout the song. The mid-tempo breaks are very well executed and towards the end, you will also get to hear a cool solo. Out of the first half of this album, this one resonated the most with my musical preferences and is perhaps, the best song on the entire album! If someone asks me what is the strongest aspect of this album, I would say the exceptional instrumentation. It is very simple but when it is coupled with vocals it just amplifies the overall experience. “Seventeen” is one such song that has a very simple background track. It is a piano, guitar and a repetitive chops – but when it is played on a loop over the vocals, it is just brilliant! Yes, the tempo does change, and so does the pattern – but the instrumentation is somewhat limited to similar use of drums, guitars and piano. That is what I call brilliant songwriting!

There are a lot of such elements on this album that will put a lot of pressure on the music critic to understand and digest how good it is when all is combined and played in unison. I had no idea what the band does before the album(birth) and after a couple of spins, I might as well found one of my favourite albums released this year. Jamie Berkes has a long way to go, and I expect him to dwell on the same sound but with added elements. How good his songs would be when strings are incorporated?! The possibilities are endless but only Jamie knows what’s best for Killed By The Architects.

Tracklist:

1. God Complex
2. North/South
3. I’m in Love
4. Can’t Stop Myself
5. If I Don’t Know What You Want
6. Seventeen
7. My Friend
8. Disciples
9. Soldier
10. Move Mountains
11. Lost at Sea
12. Penny for Your Thoughts

Line-up:

Jamie Berkes – vocals, guitar, bass, synth/keyboards, programmed drums.