(Self-released, digital)
Something all aspiring musicians learn on the path from bedroom practice to onstage performance is how much restraint it takes to rock out. It seldom looks that way from the crowd, but controlling the cacophony of smashing cymbals and screaming amplifiers demands discipline. That kind of mature, dynamic finesse is one of the traits that has always set Montpelier indie band Anachronist apart. Well, that, and their joyful, unabashed pop-rock earworms that sound like they could have been recorded in any decade since the mid-1970s.
Fittingly, Anachronist have been around for approximately forever, in local music terms: 2025 marks the 13th year since the release of their debut EP, Row. (Cheers!) Since then, the band has gone through inevitable lineup changes, but lead singer and songwriter Brian Clark has always been the gravitational center.
The band’s latest album, simply titled Anachronist, continues its long winning streak of earnest, Tom Petty-style songwriting and top-notch musicianship. This time around, the lineup adds Bill Barbot of Washington, D.C., hardcore legends Jawbox, who sings and plays some smoking lead guitar. Mike Donofrio remains a chameleon on bass, blending into every song with smart melodic work on the margins.
The album marks the last ride for viperHouse alum Phil Carr on drums, who has passed the baton to Jeff Dean going forward. Arguably the band’s most important addition has been Angela Paladino, whose nimble percussion work and powerful harmonies have shaped every Anachronist LP since 2014’s Static and Light. (See the review of another Paladino project, Nowhere Washington, on this page.)
This is a seasoned crew, and every track on the new record is tastefully refined. “Don’t Get Me” and “Last Fall” are tightly crafted gems, and when Clark and company want to stretch way out, like in the middle act of rock epic “Defeat You,” they know how to keep every moment engaging. Even a straightforward party thrasher such as “Undertaker” is full of subtle changes that keep pushing the groove to new heights.
It’s not all familiar territory, however. There are some surprises and curveballs in the mix, especially “Cool,” which features Paladino taking center stage for a jazzy slow burn. The track would be a strange stylistic turn for a less pioneering band, but on this album, it’s an electrifying highlight that fits right in. Another such beast is “Over Objections,” a downright prog-rock long-form ballad that builds through multiple movements into a cathartic closing act.
So it’s an artistic statement when the album wraps up with “I Won’t Let You Down,” which is pure, stomping garage rock and roll. For all Anachronist’s expanding horizons, this kind of raw, timeless wail has always been their lifeblood. In their second decade, they remain as vital as ever. (In fact, they’re already at work polishing off their next album.) Like other Vermont treasures, such as Milton Busker & the Grim Work and the Pilgrims, they’ve staked out a lane that concedes nothing to current fads — and amassed a killer catalog doing it.
Anachronist is available at anachronist.bandcamp.com and on major streaming platforms.
This article appears in Jul 30 – Aug 5, 2025.
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