Like Pacific – ‘Control My Sanity’

Going in to ‘Control My Sanity’, the third album from Ontario’s Like Pacific, was an odd experience. As someone who grew up through the Myspace and Tumblr years, it was instantly familiar. Familiar in a nostalgic way, of course, but also in such a way that it struggled to really excite me. At least at first. Push past the point of the record wearing thin, and ‘Control My Sanity’ reveals itself as a record far more three dimensional than just cursory listens would have one believe. Opener ‘Ketamine Jesus’ is a blistering way to kick off proceedings; a toss between early Title Fight-esque punk rock and You Me at Six style emo, it establishes both the band and indeed the album’s aesthetic perfectly. It’s an aesthetic that runs through the core of the album, veering bet...