Over the past decade or so, the New York-based trio A Place to Bury Strangers have developed a reputation for a moody, atmospheric wall of sound-influenced sound that possesses elements of psych rock, shoegaze  and space rock. and for one arguably one of the most punishingly loud and chaotic live shows in contemporary music. I’ve seen them live a couple of times and I can tell you that I’ve seen people wince in pain after having their eardrums pummeled for the better part of an hour, and they’ve been known to toss and smash instruments and other gear into pieces.  

“What We Don’t See,” the latest single off the band’s recently released Transfixiation  reveals a subtle refinement of their sound. As dense, punishing and as abrasive as their sound is, at its core is a plaintive, swooning Romanticism that gives the material a subtly dreamy sheen. 

The official video for “What We Don’t See” gets down to what we can’t see – the band’s instruments and gear at a near microscopic level, as you see strings, wood and metal, keys, beer (and beer bottles) vibrating furiously to the band’s towering sound.