Back when the New World Order in the now-defunct WCW would talk about “getting the band back together,” it always led to total disappointment, the further beating of a once-great idea that has lost its relevance. In fact, it usually doesn’t result in anything but short-lived nostalgia that never feels genuine and wears out its welcome.

Ah, that’s a weird way to start talking about Pelican’s triumphant new record “Flickering Resonance,” their first to include their original members—guitarists Laurent Schroeder-Lebec and Trevor de Brauw, bassist Bryan Herweg, and drummer Larry Herweg—in more than a decade. Granted 3/4 of the band carried on once Schroeder-Lebec left the fold in 2012, but having the band back together is a real thing here, and it’s glorious. This group has been making really good music in the interim, but having these four forces here just feels different. It feels right, and you can hear that in the music that bristles with energy, potency, and passion. That’s how you do it, nWo! By the way, I feel bad we’re doing this a week late. But I could not decide between Mares of Thrace and Pelican last week, and it seriously was a torturous decision. So, we went in alphabetical order.

“Gulch” gets things going in active fashion, the guitars kicking in and punches landing, the melodies snaking through your brain. The guitar interplay is organic and heartfelt, making your blood race, swelling until a single guitar is left standing. “Evergreen” feels like classic Pelican, streams moving forward, sweeping you up as the sounds swell, and then the guitars get warmer. Sounds simmer under the surface until a full burst, the leads swimming through multiple colors similar to the shades on the cover, and then the energy goes clean, slowly bleeding away. “Indelible” punches as the guitars glide in, digging and churning, unearthing gems beneath the earth. The bottom end chews as the playing glistens, melodies soaring as the bass swoops in and charges, emitting smoke. Guitars explore as your mind tingles, the final moments echoing out into oblivion. “Specific Resonance” is crunchy as it starts, with all elements building, leads bubbling with warmth, and then a calm washing over. The guitar work takes on a fuzzy, hazy feel, the moodiness thickening, catchy, dark waves cooling and overtaking you. The crunch returns in force and hits harder and muddier, beaming through clouds.

“Cascading Crescent” moves in fast and is thrashy, the guitars snarling and seething, the pace then easing suddenly and letting you have a breather. The playing then gallops, the guitars picking up steam and joining in a twin attack, everything ending abruptly. “Pining For Ever” dawns with lathering guitars and a dusky aura, making it feel like the earlier evening hours of the summer. The sounds tear into the sky, the guitars plotting before going into a dreamier sequence, trickling before it bursts through the gates. Emotion pulses as the sounds tingle, driving to a fiery finish. “Flickering Stillness” begins clean, circling around a jerky, grungy pathway, feeling moody and calmer, guitars spiraling and mesmerizing. The tempo ramps up as the waves crush the shores, melodies gusting as storms surface, only subsiding for a drone onslaught. Closer “Wandering Mind” starts ominously with bass chugging, the darkness heading into the shadows, a chilling, numbing feeling sending shivers. Guitars cut in as the sludginess multiplies, the sounds ramping up as the temperatures skyrocket, the bass bookending and slithering into space.

Pelican sound at full strength both musically and emotionally on “Flickering Resonance,” a wholly satisfying, imagination-inducing record that feels like the band is firing on all cylinders. That’s not just because the four originators are back together but also because they seem to have channeled something extra to keep their engine roaring. This album sounds like a triumph and a catharsis, a collection of songs that land perfectly near the beginning of summer, when it feels like this music will be at its emotional apex.

For more on the band, go here: https://pelican.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://runforcoverrecords.com/products/pelican-flickering-resonance

For more on the label, go here:  https://runforcoverrecords.com/