This fourth album from Typhoon sees them caught in an eternal creative struggle and Offerings sits at a wonderful crossroads. In one direction the road leads to commercial success but they often seem to be moving in the opposite direction towards cult interest. This road is crossed by one whose binary choices are either delivering the existing followers music similar to what has gone before or taking newer and even braver choices. But rather than being seen as a problem for the band, it is this skittering between options, this push and pull between then and now, the known and the unknown, the comfort zone and new horizons which is its real strength.
Add to that the album is a concept album, or at least an album of concepts, a Quadtrych following the main characters evolving mental state with music as dark to match and it is clear that we find Typhoon pushing even further into the poignant, dark and difficult territory that previous albums have started to explore. But as heavy as the sentiments hang and as weighty as the music often gets, its saving grace is that the music remains accessible, for the most part, can be melancholic rather than miserable, is cerebral rather than intense, is wonderfully textured, it has to be with a band featuring 11 players, and toys wonderfully with alt-rock density, post-rock looseness and progressive structures.
It is hard to see many of these songs finding traction far beyond the underground circuit but then you don’t make albums like this looking for chart success, this is music made as a cathartic and self-examining process but it will certainly find a following amongst a smarter, more discerning musical set.
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