According to the tarot guide I purchased at the Newbury Street Urban Outfitters in college, the Four of Wands card indicates that “it is a good idea, if not absolutely necessary, to indulge in some well-deserved festivities to make the end of a particular phase of work.” In which case, the title of Main Era’s new album is right on the money, because it’s a four-track, 30-minute behemoth of post-rock.
IV of Wands, released last week (January 23), is the Allston band’s first project since 2024’s Archie. It’s a heady, immersive listen, but also a necessary testament to the power of DIY in an era where people are increasingly stretching resources and leaning on their community for support — artistic, sociopolitical, or otherwise.
“There are many communications inside, but one of them worth making explicit here is this: you can do it yourself!” the band writes on Instagram, explaining the decision to record IV of Wands in their basement due to “necessity and constraint.”
“We love all of our wonderful friends who work in studios, but we would not have had the resources to put these sprawling songs together in a time-sensitive environment,” they added. “As a result, our tiny extra basement room became our live room, and for better or worse, no other record will have the same sound.”
“Sprawling” is right; three of the album’s song approach (or surpass) the nine-minute mark, as Main Era wend through a labyrinth of leaden riffs, urgent yowls, and tiptoeing passages of calm. The long-form catharsis is a reprieve from a streambait’d pop-rock world.
“Note: DIY doesn’t mean working alone — it just means not waiting for permission from those holding the keys of power,” the post stated. “The world we were raised for no longer exists, and we will need to get creative to pick up the pieces. Embracing our creativity goes hand in hand with embracing our humanity and building community. But it takes practice — best to start now if you haven’t already.”