There’s a noticeable sense of intent behind Planer’s latest release, a two-track EP that continues to shape the Minneapolis band’s identity. Following their early momentum, ‘Feel It Too / Dial’ feels like a sharpening of what they already do well: balancing density with restraint and weight with openness.
Across both tracks, Planer operate in a space where alternative rock and grunge-adjacent dynamics meet a more cinematic sensibility. There are echoes of the expansive, guitar-driven architecture associated with Smashing Pumpkins, while the tonal layering and textural shifts occasionally recall the immersive approach of Hum. These references, however, remain broad touchpoints rather than defining templates.
‘Feel It Too’ establishes the EP’s emotional register with a slow-building structure that gradually accumulates intensity. Guitars are layered in thick, interlocking patterns, but the arrangement avoids becoming static by constantly adjusting focus. The vocals sit within this framework rather than above it, contributing to the track’s overall sense of internal tension as it plays.
‘Dial’ takes a slightly different approach. Where the first track builds outward, this one moves between extremes as quiet, almost suspended passages give way to more forceful, distorted sections. The shifts are carefully managed, reinforcing the band’s interest in emotional pacing than anything else.
A key strength of Planer’s work lies in how the individual roles within the band interact. Interlocking guitars provide the melodic and harmonic foundation, while bass and drums function as a stabilising force beneath the shifting textures. This interplay gives the EP its sense of movement, even in its quieter moments.
What distinguishes ‘Feel It Too / Dial’ from many emerging releases in this space is its restraint. The band resist the urge to over-develop ideas, instead allowing repetition and gradual evolution to carry the emotional weight.
As a follow-up to their early work, this release suggests a band still in the process of defining itself, but doing so with increasing clarity. Planer are refining how they operate within their genre by focusing on atmosphere, structure, and controlled intensity.