This artistic shift is immediately apparent from the beginning of the album's first song "Flight Tonight," a subtle and psychedelic song that is followed by the equally cerebral "Domestica." Both tunes feature some very interesting synth soundscapes, something that producer Chris Coady insisted the band strive for to redefine their sound. Most of what you hear on the album are sounds created custom with mostly analog synthesizers. This attention to detail works wonders in giving each song its own unique feel.
Three singles that were released in 2019 are peppered throughout the record ("Everyone's Wearing Skin", "Chimera," and "Bang, Bang") and add more variety to an already diverse spread, while tracks like "Providence" and "Non-Stop" provide the brand of indie-glam pop-rock that was a staple of their earlier work. But the best songs on the album turn out to be the most personal.
"Things We Regret" reads on the surface like your standard breakup song, but the chorus reaches more broad terms. "Sometimes I wish things could have gone differently/Haven't we all done things/Things we regret." It's a song about the quiet deterioration of a relationship, be it romantic or a long-term friendship. For an album released at the beginning of a new decade, this is a song that feels like it could be right at home playing over the end credits of a John Hughes movie. And then there's "All That's Left", an even more personal song that sees Haller waxing poetic about the meaning of it all, taking on a dreamy/John Lennon-eque feel with equally delicate vocals.
There's something for everyone on Almost Forever. Cheerleader took the best parts of what made them such an exciting act to listen to five years ago, kept what worked, and added new layers to their sound. Hopefully, the wait for a follow up is significantly less than forever.