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Rivulets, "We're Fucked"
It took me an embarrassingly long time to finally grasp exactly what was so special about Nathan Amundson's work, as it is very easy to lump Rivulets in with '90s slowcore bands like Codeine after a casual listen.  That "casual" part was my mistake, as work like this demands complete attention to reveal its true depth. We're Fucked took five years to fully gestate and it sounds like it, as Amundson painstakingly distilled his songs to their very essence, leaving only naked honesty and restrained, but unflinching intensity.  The best moments are quietly devastating in a way that would be impossible if the songs were any less stark and glacial, as Nathan makes damn sure I don't miss a single word.
On a fundamental level, many songs on We're Fucked almost have more in common with haiku than they do with contemporary indie rock music.  For one, Amundson's lyrics are very minimal and poetic in both approach and structure, especially shorter pieces like "Interstate" and "I Am."  That similarity goes much deeper than just lyrics though, as Nathan does not constrain himself to expected songwriting conventions: there is rarely an effort to craft distinct, repeating verses or choruses and songs generally end whenever Nathan is done delivering the lyrics.  Many times that means that a song is over in less than two minutes.  For many artists, that would be a bad move, but Amundson is sufficiently gripping and melodic to make it seem entirely appropriate.  I guess that works because many of these songs would be just as powerful as a capella pieces: the music is good, but it serves more as a backdrop rather than as the focus (at least in most cases).
Nathan's perfectionism and extreme self-awareness serve him well here, as hushed poetic musings such as these could easily fall prey to melodrama or tiresome navel-gazing, but they don't.  There is not a false note to be found anywhere.  While there is an undeniable darkness and sensitivity in these pieces ("I'm a sheep among all you fucking wolves"), Amundson's world-weariness feels very honest, earned, and matter-of-fact. Of course, it also helps that Rivulets can unleash a simmering fury when they put their mind to it, as the trio does in "No Talking."  However, the heaviest song on the album–the previously referenced "Sheep Among Wolves"– doesn't need anything more than Nathan's voice and a lazily strummed acoustic guitar to rip my heart out.
It is a bit surprising that this album chronologically follows 2006's more conventionally musical and filled-out You Are My Home.  We're Fucked actually seems far more like a logical progression from 2003's darker Debridement, which suits me just fine: that was an excellent album.  This one is too, as there are a few songs here that easily rank among the best that Amundson has ever written.  Also, it takes some serious guts to write songs this naked, spare, and minimalistic.
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