With The Agent Intellect being Protomartyr’s third studio album, they are no stranger to the post-punk revival scene. With their past records, they have kept a consistent style exclusive to their band, but they have failed to leave a lasting mark on many listeners. However, on The Agent Intellect, Protomartyr seemed to have taken a turn for the good, with a very likeable newer sound.

The vocal performance by Joe Casey on the record is what really shines. He sings as if he’s falling into a coma, or a trance. The band’s instrumentals are more reserved than on their previous albums, or in comparison to any post-punk album in general. The album opens with “The Devil in His Youth”, exhibiting the best of Casey’s vocal melodies and songwriting all at once. Casey sings, “I will make them feel the way I do/ I’ll corrupt them till they think the way I do”. The song paints a story about a character who is not only having a dark personality, but dangerous at the same time. The case is the same for “Uncle Mothers”, one of the heaviest tracks on the record, ending with an intense climax. On “Dopecloud”, the chorus envelops the listener into a wave of sadness with some of the strongest lyrics on the album: “That’s not gonna save you, man/ But what will?”

Where The Agent Intellect does fall short, however, is when the vocals are mixed too low on the track, such as songs like “Ellen”, or “Pontiac 87”. If the instrumentation had been more interesting, perhaps the vocals wouldn’t have been as much of a problem. The album also suffers from a large amount of filler tracks, making listening through all the way somewhat difficult. Had Protomartyr released this as a 6 song EP, it would be a post-punk revivalist masterpiece. In conclusion, Protomartyr delivered a very enjoyable album that will be remembered in their discography as a stand-out.