HOLDING ABSENCE

There are albums that sound like they belong to a moment, and then there are albums that seem to understand the moment better than most people do. HOLDING ABSENCE's "Modern Life Is Lonely" is very much the latter. It's a great album, but more importantly, it's a modern one. It captures the strange contradiction of 2026: We're surrounded by ways to communicate, yet somehow, some way, everyone seems a little more alone.

That's what makes the band's fourth full-length feel so timely. Rather than looking inward exclusively, vocalist Lucas Woodland and the band turn their efforts toward the world around them, taking in technology, isolation, uncertainty and the general weirdness of existing right now. Thankfully, it's not a depressing album, though. On "Modern Life Is Lonely", HOLDING ABSENCE embraces the moment and finds beauty in it.

Musically, this album feels like a band deliberately refusing to stand still. It's a fresh approach and sound for them while still staying very much their own. There are shimmering textures, electronic elements, atmospheric passages and bursts of post-hardcore intensity, but none of it feels like experimentation for experimentation's sake. The pieces fit together because HOLDING ABSENCE still sounds unmistakably themselves, even when they're pushing into unfamiliar territory.

"Reanimate" is one of the album's biggest standouts. It's anthemic and glistening, the kind of song that feels enormous while carrying a lot of emotion. It has magical sounding guitars but also a little darkness hiding around the edges. "Reflection" takes a different approach. It's minimalist, restrained and almost delicate at first, before revealing just how much power is sitting underneath the surface.

Then there's "Scorched Earth", which is absolutely incredible. It's the track that reminds you HOLDING ABSENCE hasn't forgotten how to get heavy. The metalcore influence comes roaring through, giving the album one of its most aggressive and satisfying moments. After spending so much time exploring atmosphere and texture, the sheer weight of the song feels like a punch. Meanwhile, the title track is an apt mix of that heaviness with melodic atmospheres. It's a mix of LINKIN PARK and BAD OMENS. That contrast is part of what makes "Modern Life Is Lonely" work so well. It sounds cohesive but doesn't really repeat itself.

HOLDING ABSENCE has been doing this for years, and there's a noticeable confidence here. It's a lofty goal, but "Modern Life Is Lonely" feels like an album documenting the present while it's happening and turning it into hard-charging music. In a world where people often feel distant, it's the kind of set that can make us realize we're all in this together.