| Spiral in a Straight Line | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Touché Amoré |
| Cover: | Touché Amoré Spiral In A Straight Line cover.jpg |
| Studio: | The Peaky Barnacle (Los Angeles) |
| Genre: | Post-hardcore |
| Label: | Rise |
| Producer: | Ross Robinson |
| Prev Title: | Lament |
| Prev Year: | 2020 |
Spiral in a Straight Line is the sixth studio album by American post-hardcore band Touché Amoré. It was released on October 11, 2024, through Rise Records. Production was handled by Ross Robinson. It features guest appearances from Julien Baker and Lou Barlow.
Spiral in a Straight Line was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 79 based on seven reviews.
Ben Tipple of DIY praised the album, stating: "the shifts are subtle but notable, providing another brilliant backdrop for Jeremy's largely pained candour". Will Yarbrough of The Line of Best Fit resumed: "it's not their best album, but by sticking closely to this pattern, Spiral in a Straight Line is their most cohesive". Ellie Kovach of Pitchfork wrote: "the band has lost none of the adventurousness of Lament, but the songs are more direct and immediate, weaponizing Bolm's hoarse roar in service of the strongest and most surprising hooks of their career to date". Sputnikmusic staff member found "Spiral in a Straight Line strives to strike a balance. It's a collection of great songs, varies in pace, and is recognisably Touché". Paul Dika of Exclaim! wrote: "Spiral in a Straight Line is an album that represents the logical next step for a band who have honed in on what works — not reinventing the wheel but finding subtle ways to improve on what Touché Amoré is and what they can be".
In a mixed review, Mischa Pearlman of Kerrang! stated: "there are a couple of marvellous moments – namely the shapeshifting "Mezzanine" and the agonising regret of "Finalist" – but often Spiral In A Straight Line settles into itself too much".
Touché Amoré
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