I was previously unaware of gates when I discovered 2016’s Parallel Lives. But I quickly fell in love with that album’s blend of tender indie rock songwriting and epic post rock composition.

So when my friend Rob offered their debut full-length up in a trade for a copy of my band’s full-length, I took him up on it.

And while Bloom & Breathe is a little less tight than its follow up, there’s a rawness here that makes it just as rewarding.

It’s always odd to explore a discography in reverse—it’s a bit unfair to judge a record by the records that came after it. But in the case of Bloom & Breathe, there’s not a lot to signify that this record came first.

All of the main elements of Parallel Lives are present here: intricate guitar work, angular drum work, delicate vocals, and climactic song structures. But this record is far less streamlined. Songs run a little longer. The instrumentation is a bit more experimental. There’s even a fair amount of screamed vocals. Some moments are straight up heavy.

“Bloom” erupts with twinkling guitars and explosive drums. The epic “At Last the Loneliest Of Them” ends with a few moments of hardcore catharsis. “Marrow” finds frontman Kevin Dye alone with an acoustic guitar sighing, “all I need is everything to change in me.” The record is bookended by two instrumentals—”Everything That Ever Has Been” and “Everything That Always Will Be“—that could keep any post rock purist happy.

And as much as I love Parallel Lives, I think that roughness might give Bloom & Breathe the edge for me—I’ll have to spend more time with it to be sure. It’s a massive statement: far more sprawling than the laser-focused Parallel Lives. And while it makes for a more demanding listen, it rewards every second of that.