Panorama, Midwest post-hardcore group La Dispute’s fifth full-length release, is the band’s most dichotomous work. Bouncing rapidly between subdued spoken word interludes backed by shimmering lead guitar is contrasted harshly by the raw, emotional bellows and blistering artillery barrages of drums and drop-D power chords they build beautifully into. 

While this repeated buildup and breakdown can often sound formulaic, La Dispute manage to make each crescendo feel earned and wholly heartbreaking.  

Trumpets accent “Rhodonite and Grief,” a track that commits to the group’s melancholy to deliver a harrowing story of trauma through a partner’s eyes. This is broken up quickly by “Anxiety Panorama” that never seems to give up on the all-out pummel its title promises.  

These two trenches of restraint and full, all-feeling emotion showcase the vast empty space of sentiment that exists between them. 

Panorama sees La Dispute’s storytelling and songcraft stand out as the group paint poetic pictures of their hometown landscapes and indulge in their desolate, grief-ridden soundscapes. 

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