Colourmeinkindness found Basement pulling from not only one of emo's zeniths-early Sunny Day Real Estate-but also channeling heavy and sometimes hazy '90s alt-rock, with hints of behemoths like Pixies, Silverchair, and Catherine Wheel shaping the sound. Vocalist Andrew Fisher fit that grunge mold of a maudlin-but-thoughtful protagonist, ruminating on toxic relationships, personal desolation, and desperate longing, with slivers of optimism occasionally peeking through. From the dynamic one-two punch of churning opener "Whole" into the balladic doom of "Covet", to the sneering grunge of "Black" and gentle ease of "Comfort", Basement effortlessly moved between sounds and styles while keeping the underlying energy of their roots in punk and hardcore.
