Assemblage 23
Null
Metropolis Records
Maybe it’s because Tom Shear’s Assemblage 23 seemed to emerge with a fully formed musical aesthetic on 1999’s Contempt, but the project’s arc has always seemed to be one of refinement. Emerging from the post-industrial diaspora and informed by synthpop and EBM, the melodic style Shear has been plying over the course of ten full length albums has never been static, with each release being another step forward in his production, songwriting and lyricism. 2025’s Null is a showcase in all those areas, and is a testament to Assemblage 23’s continued evolution into a better version of itself.
With that in mind, it’s interesting to note how good Tom Shear is at writing songs in his distinctive style without repeating himself. Yes, his trademark programming style and smooth vocal delivery remain remains as recognizable as ever on a song like “Fuel”, but he keeps the mid-tempo groove and bright synthwork fresh with some punchy octave bass, and by layering his voice in a higher register over the chorus to bring out the track’s melody. Similarly, the twin leads – one clean and one squelchy – that swirl through the verses of “Gone” are as Assemblage 23 as it gets, their familiarity belying the clever way that Shear uses them to play with the song’s dynamics and signal shifts between its sections. It’s these kinds of production and design details that help define what has always set A23 apart; they’re transparent and effective, elevating the material without getting in its way.
The other important aspect of Shear’s work has always been how forthright and unabashedly personal he’s presented himself in both his lyrics and his performance as a vocalist. Listen to “Tolerate”, a track where he addresses a former friend he’s had to cut loose for their intolerance; the lyrics make it clear that Shear has no patience for prejudice (“If we can’t agree on decency, what do we have left?” he asks), but the way he sings it you can feel both the disappointment and the resolve that led to him writing the song in the first place. On “Lunatics” he dips back into the harder dance sounds that have long been an underrated aspect of his style, pairing a syncopated EBM rhythm and vocoded verse with a plaintive and desperate chorus where he laments the state of matters, building out the song’s world-standing-on-its-head lyrical metaphor while giving it the appropriate level of wounded gravitas. His keen sense of how to pitch himself allows him to perform the strident call to action chorus of the stomping “Overthrow” and the uplifting and hopeful love song “Waited” that concludes the album to equal effect. What’s more there’s never any doubt that he’s singing the things he feels, the things he believes in.
Null is no doubt an excellent Assemblage 23 album, and what’s more it’s a great example of the project’s enduring appeal. It has great pop hooks that feel familiar but not repetitive, production that is clean and modern while maintaining its identity, and themes that are deeply personal and often political, without crossing over into being schmaltzy or preachy. Its as balanced and considered as any record Tom Shear has ever put out, and as enjoyable. To be able to say that about a new record by an artist of his tenure is rare, and heartening. Recommended.
