Milwaukee’s Human Ant Farm have never been particularly interested in staying above water. The alt-rock five-piece — a band that has been steadily building a reputation around town for pairing shoegaze textures with the kind of hooky, melancholic songwriting that would make Modest Mouse and Slowdive nod approvingly — return with a new full-length that leans all the way into their favorite thematic deep end. It’s called “Songs About Sinking,” and if the title feels like a warning, well, consider yourself warned.

Where the group’s 2024 debut EP introduced their signature blend of oceanic distortion and twinkling, reverb-drenched guitar work, “Songs About Sinking” widens the frame. The record trades some of the debut’s ethereal restraint for a fuller, more confident sprawl — tracks that build slowly, submerge unexpectedly, and resurface just long enough to catch a breath before the next wave rolls in. There’s a patience to this album that rewards headphone listeners, but the choruses are big enough to work on a Cactus Club stage, too.

Thematically, the album lives up to its name without ever tipping into misery for misery’s sake. These are songs about the slow drift — the quiet realization that you’ve been treading water longer than you thought, the strange comfort of finally letting yourself drop. It’s heavy material handled with a light touch, delivered with the kind of atmospheric guitar work and buried-in-the-mix vocals that have become Human Ant Farm’s calling card. Fans of Milwaukee’s growing shoegaze and dream-pop underground — the same scene that has produced acts like Sleepersound and beyond — will find plenty to love here.

Stream “Songs About Sinking” below via Bandcamp, throw the band a few bucks while you’re there, and keep an eye on their live calendar. This one deserves to be heard loud.

https://humantfarm.bandcamp.com/album/songs-about-sinking?from=discover_page