CLOAKZ Transport Listeners On “This Is It”

Although CLOAKZ began as the fuzzed-out, psych-rock brainchild of singer/guitarist Zac Ciancaglini, he would eventually find the rest of his five-piece, indie-pop outfit amidst the wild swell of Philadelphia’s vibrant music scene.

Surrounded by bands of every kind giving it their collective all, they found no shortage of inspiration, crafting their own potent take on a classic, guitar-driven recipe. Layering elements of shoegaze and indie-folk with a sticky melodic sensibility, CLOAKZ delivers a dreamy and direct sound sure to delight fans of alternative heavyweights like the National and the War on Drugs. Across eight diverse and dynamic tracks, they now present their debut LP, Control Program.

On the album’s latest single, “This Is It,” the band expertly directs a sonic journey that builds from an airy weightlessness into a heavy blissful release. A softly overdriven guitar plays a couple of breezy chords steeped in reverb and delay. The floating atmosphere thrums before we’re suddenly grounded by a jaunty, two-chord pattern.

The rhythm section locks in, propelling the track as it continues to amass layers of sound and intensity, and then pulls back for Ciancaglini’s striking baritone as he sings of conflicting desires. “I want out / You want in / In this place / no one wins.” Launching headlong into the rushing half-time of the song’s sweeping chorus, Ciancaglini resigns himself to his immovable position: “I got no fight / She’s all I’ll give / I don’t know what you’re thinking / but my baby this is it.” The track ends with an instrumental trip to the stars, powered by the band’s thrilling guitar work.

Prior singles, “El Zero” and “Vacant”—the latter engineered by Jeff Zeigler (Kurt Vile, The War on Drugs)—also highlight CLOAKZ’s penchant for mining dramatic depths across the landscape of modern alternative rock. Control Program is a fully realized and self-assured song cycle throughout. The music, however, was born out of an uncertain and anxious time. Back in 2019, Ciancaglini–together with bassist Tony Aqullino–had parted ways with their original drummer and guitarist.

New drummer Greg Foran stepped in, and shortly thereafter, Aquillino’s friends–guitarist James Keary and keyboardist S. Catoe–moved to Philly looking for a new project. Once in the fold, they brought a fresh, collaborative spirit to the band, taking Ciancaglini’s vision to new heights, deepening and defining the band's sound with a dual guitar attack, three vocalists, and keyboards. They were revved up and gaining momentum. Circumstances, however, would soon change for everyone as COVID-19 brought much of the world to an effective halt. 

Beyond the standard shock and adjustment to life in quarantine, however, Ciancaglini also became a new father at the height of the pandemic. The stress of navigating so much unfamiliar territory at once while continuing to write songs provided him with a central theme for his new album: the desire for order in a chaotic world. The titular control program, as Ciancaglini explains, is a bit of sci-fi fantasy, imagining a quick fix that could allow him to step out of his own life, away from its complications and responsibilities, and automate the process for perfect results.

In the real world, however, CLOAKZ found a sense of control in the recording studio, bringing their songs to life with producer/engineer Alex Lipsen (Phosphorescent, Nada Surf) at Brooklyn’s Russell Street Recording. Together, they created compelling arrangements and engrossing sonic textures that bid the listener to step into the music and get lost.

In considering what the band created, Ciancaglini reflected on how the central theme evolved: “In the end... I think the songs on the album are about fighting that impulse to step away, to be numb, to escape, and instead to face life head-on with all of its messiness and complication and difficulty.” And while the music on Control Program certainly provides an effective array of destinations for listeners looking for escape, the sound of CLOAKZ is a rich and complex tapestry that reflects life experienced, not avoided.

Experience the album for yourself on August 23, 2024.

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