Album Review: Uncaused by OST

OST is post-trauma-core, mental-illness-rock experimental band fronted by Shane Harrington, an Irish-born artist who found himself in New York after a difficult upbringing in "Stab City." Undergoing traumas such as the burglary and arson of his family home with him inside, witnessing the attempted murder of a neighbor, and the messy divorce of a mentally ill mother and politically active father.

Uncaused is the brain-child of musical experimentation, weening off of high dosage SSRIs, and deep research of fringe philosophies. The album itself features 3-D audio tricks that contribute to a sense of presence within the music. In the first track "Social," footsteps approach from the left, coming down what sounds like stairs and halting in front of you with a sickening thump. Several tracks include tricks like this to physically place you within the song including "Escape Velocity," "End of Life Credits," and "What If It Ends." "What If It Ends" includes an Irish folk-style music being sung gaily by a few jubilant souls. The way it's been recorded, however, makes it sounds as though you're listening from the outside or a room away - not part of the festivities, but fully aware of them.

The album continues along it's self-paved path with monotone vocals much like the chorus in "Social" and vocals in "Escape Velocity." It's an interesting element giving focus to the instrumentals and audio effects, meanwhile, some songs are allowed to "speak" for themselves. The voices possess a more robotic element while the electronic effects are given voice much like in "End of Life Credits." The lyrics themselves seem ambiguous, consisting of snippets of phrases and such, but they touch on of themes of mental illness, trauma, psychology, therapy industries and social issues.

Despite the new and experimental features, Uncaused is easy-listening with a slow, paced tempo which is perfect to complement rather than conflict. Instrumentally, Shane has done a phenomenal job and mastered guitar fingering, which adds another level of complexity and finesse to his creation. "Social" and "Escape Velocity" have more melodic guitar playing while "Friends Forever" features heavier riffs.

Overall, Uncaused is ten steps ahead in the music game when it comes to new methods of recording and creating an experience for listeners.

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