“Where Logan Lynn excels on his debut Beat the World full-length, From Pillar to Post, is not as readily accessible as the genre in which his music resides might allude to. Were it simply a raved-up dissertation concerning the trappings of the emo generation (a term Lynn actually embraces), it might be dubbed a hybrid anomaly, pitting two oft-divided musical milieus into one, shattering a once-proverbial mold. But Pillar… does more than that. Opener “Feed Me to the Wolves” writhes with industrial-rock melancholia, with Lynn’s lethargic monotone repeating, “I won’t stop until I find a way to make you stay.”

Dance jams like “Alone Together” offer respite from the gloom, but only if you aren’t paying attention — like adding layers to a wedding cake, Lynn adds frighteningly catchy minor chord sediments to already shaky bedrock. When you reach the album’s finale — among the busy, ambient blips on “The Dotted Line” — Lynn bellows robotically the line, “It’s so hard to say goodbye.” He’s right; listening to Pillar… poses an awfully disheartening conundrum: Should I keep listening to such personal expression? And just as a savage stares at the sun despite the spots, you will listen to Lynn despite the sadness.”