Chain Gang of 1974

Felt is the fourth studio album by The Chain Gang of 1974, released June 23, 2017 on Caroline Records. It's a pivot — after parting ways with Warner Bros. following Daydream Forever, Kamtin Mohager took time away and eventually connected with Thom Powers of The Naked and Famous, who came on as producer. The result is Mohager's most refined and emotionally direct record: nine tracks, no filler, and a Technicolor synth-pop sheen that sits somewhere between New Order's cleaner impulses and Powers' own production aesthetic.

Singles "I Still Wonder" and "Slow" — the latter accompanied by a music video featuring Curt Smith of Tears for Fears, premiered on Billboard — set the stage for an album that delivered on their promise. "Forget," featuring Alisa Xayalith of The Naked and Famous, is the standout guest moment: her voice alongside Mohager's creates the album's most emotionally loaded passage. "Wallflowers" and "Temptation" round out a tracklist that earned the album an 80 from Alternative Press and strong praise across the board. The Chain Gang of 1974 then toured as an opening act for AFI on the album's heels.

Felt is the record where Mohager stopped chasing an era and started sounding like himself.