WISHFUL - BLACK SWAN LANE

Wishful, by BLACK SWAN LANE, from the 2022 album, Blind. (Wanderland/Eden) Atlanta guitarist/singer/leader Jack Sobel has metamorphosized from a talented songwriter into something of a simmering solo genius. This is his/their 10th LP the public has way too little awareness of, and recent efforts have proved particularly remarkable excursions into his deep end of the moody/broody-yet-beautiful post-punk pool. BSL’s bearings don’t change, as they spin another decidedly gray but not gloomy, glistening-guitar-centric, atmospheric mini-masterpiece, traversing between The Chameleons (two of whom appeared on previous BSL LPs) and Joy Division, with space for The Church, Into Paradise, and Straightjacket Fits’ Melt. “Fragile” is a new “Intrigue in Tangiers,” with a colossal “I’ve no power to fight” chorus chord progression; and the late Martin Hannett himself could hardly improve on “Can’t Keep Me Quiet.” That track and the also up-tempo “Wishful” are especially invigorating, but it’s the apprehensive lush