Constant Velocity – s/t

Constant Velocity are a punk rock band. Don’t let the name fool you; when I first heard it, I thought that I was in for listening to a band doomed to acquire the dreaded “emo” label. Constant Velocity play a type of punk rock often overlooked and obscured by the more traditional definition of the term. They play a pop driven punk with classic rock sensibilities, often channeling bands like Television or the Minutemen. They don’t sound like they know it yet, or the fact that the rest of the world hasn’t heard of them, but this young band from Bloomington, Illinois rocks harder than a lot of bands attempting this sound with little success.

The debut, self-titled album from Constant Velocity was obviously recorded on a budget. In all honesty, they don’t sound like they care and their ambition drives the tracks on this record, like the bluesy “The Smoker”. It takes a bit to get used to Alex Smith’s vocals, he’s one of those types of vocalists that can’t really sing, but his voice is perfect for the off-kilter delivery from the rest of the musicians.

Speaking of music, I found one of my favorite tracks to be “3sa Crowd”, thanks to the simple 2 minute introduction, which finds the bass and guitar competing. The high-hats give the impression that at any moment the song will erupt into a fast and aggressive number, but instead the song takes us into a bouncy and infectious pop tune about a young girl’s crush on a youth minister. The song titled “The Cloud” is one of the only songs that comes close to fitting the traditional punk rock label, but its with Velocity’s ability to write infectious breakdowns to underscore the aggression, that their sound remains truly fresh and exciting.

It’s hard to choose from such a great record a favorite, but I would have to say “Genius” is just that. Clocking in at an epic 6 min and 37 seconds, it slowly meanders in a Door’s like groove and then totally lets loose in a guitar effects laden breakdown worthy of comparison to the classic rock of years past. Then, after another breakdown, the song rips into an upbeat punk rock tune only to slow down again into a keyboard part carefully placed to add to the quirky sensibilities of this eclectic outfit.

More people should know about this band. It’s rather unfortunate that the tour section of their website lists only one show in the near future, which is a shame. Give these guys a bigger budget, unleash them on the road, and the possibilities are endless.

Patton Oswalt – Werewolves and Lollipops

“A failure pile in a sadness bowl”. That is one of the lines that I will walk away with from Patton Oswalt’s Sub Pop debut Werewolves and Lollipops. Patton presents his comedy in a tragic, “woe is me” style that works, though it can seem lost on the simple minded.

In world where everything seems pretty fucked up, we need comedians. “Tragedy plus time equals comedy” Oswalt screams midway through the disc and you know he’s right. The best comics, from Pryor, to Bruce, to Hicks, have all used the absolute tragedy that is human existence – those horrible thoughts and images to make us laugh. Some of the best material contained herein, “Alternate Earth”, “Sterling, Virginia”, and “Bubble of Sanity” tackle the toughest of subjects with a hint of wackiness.

And wackiness is what Patton Oswalt adds to the comedy scene. He is incredibly smart, prescient, great with words, and damn funny. But he is also wacky and he goes that extra mile, something that some comics seem unwilling to do. “Jesus come work my jaw, and help my sloppy pile of food go down” doesn’t just come out of any comic’s mouth. So, we learn of Patton’s love of Brian Dennehy, an invisible baby, and his racist cell phone throughout the disc.

A key section of the album and one of the funniest is when he compares the Bush-Cheaney regime to the Dukes of Hazzard. “Now how in the hell are they gonna get out of this bucket of syrup?” “Bwamp-bamp-bandalan-daooo.” Complete with a Waylon Jennings voiceover. And when you think about it, the comparison isn’t too far off. They always seem to be getting into these incredible messes and somehow they escape. “And every week, they jump the General Lee over the Bill of Rights…”

The bottom line is this: This is a GREAT comedy album. I have listened to it at least 5 or 6 times straight through. Buy it, burn it, I don’t care. Get a hold of it, and laugh your ass off.

No Second Troy – Narcotic

On a brilliant afternoon in late July, cloud-free, Carolinian heat not too enervating, I opened up my window and allowed No Second Troy’s Narcotic to drift out to passersby, intending to give it a tepid going-over while finding out if Harry Potter meets his end courageously. Before I could sink onto the sofa, prepared for a marathon sesh, however, I heard a knock at the window; glancing up, I didn’t recognize the enthusiastic face peering in. To be sure, he was considerably past peering: half his torso was already through the frame and his arms were wheeling, grabbing frenetically at nearby furniture to pull the rest through. I motioned, belatedly, for him to enter.

“Hey bro, is that the new Coldplay album? I can’t believe it’s already leaked! I mean, they’re still in the studio and everything. Is it everything we expected it to be?”

“Uh… actually, this isn’t Coldplay. This is a band called No Second Troy from Washington, D.C. They just sound a lot like Coldplay.” I switched over to “Feint,” the opening track that, I suspected, had lured him here in the first place. “I don’t blame you for being misled; this sounds a hell of a lot like ‘Clocks.’”

“That it does,” he replied. “Just no killer piano riff. Well, too bad. See you around.”

“Later.”

As he turned to leave, “Narcotic” came on. “Are you sure, man?”
“Positive. This is just a faster ‘Trouble.’”

“Right. Later.”

I turned back to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and took a sip of iced coffee. I made some good headway before my second visitor arrived. This time it was an attractive young woman in a plaid skirt wearing thin-framed glasses and chopsticks in her hair.
“May I come in?” she asked.

“Absolutely,” I said.

“I love The Fray so much. It’s, like, the perfect music to listen to in the summer. I mean, I put on How to Save a Life everyday when I drive to work. I’m a lifeguard; isn’t that funny? I thought I had all their stuff, though. Is this new?”

This time the problem was “Into Your Sun.” I was sure of it. “I don’t really know the Fray very well, but this isn’t them. This is No Second Troy, some up-and-coming rock stars from D.C.” I started the song over again. “You see, this song probably just sounds exactly like something by The Fray. Bands do that kind of thing, I guess.”

“Yeah, I guess his voice is a little different; it sounds more like 3 Doors Down. Still, that piano! I could’ve sworn it was The Fray! Geez, I feel foolish. Goodbye.”

She was showing herself out when another bloke, bespectacled with grey hair, poked his head past the doorjamb.

“Don’t worry, this isn’t the Fray,” she informed him.

“The Fray? I thought this was U2, lady!”

I intervened. “Nope, it’s neither. It’s No Second Troy. They’re a lot like both of those bands, though.”

The woman left; the man simply muttered “Oh” and walked off demurely. At this point I shut the window so I could get some work done. “Jesus Christ!” I sighed. “Everyone came in here ready to ask me to burn a CD for them, but as soon as they found it that it was a band they’d never heard of they buggered off. Good luck with that, NST.” I ejected the disc and put in Yo La Tengo.

Sebadoh – The Freed Man

In the recent rash of reunion tours plaguing music these days there is at least one ray of light to come of the hatchet burial between Eric Gaffney and Lou Barlow. Last year the original Sebadoh lineup came together to finally reissue the seminal III album, complete with better sound, an extra disc of outtakes, and comprehensive liner notes including Jason Loewenstein’s input. If their recent tour left little to be desired, comfort comes in knowing that it better served its purpose in making sure III, and now their first album, The Freed Man, has been put back in print.

Both albums, as well as the output from the same late 80’s era Guided By Voices gave rise to the lo-fi movement, clearing the way for Pavement, Elliott Smith, The Mountain Goats, and countless others. If there’s anything to be learned from these recordings it’s that albums of this nature will not be made again. With the advent of ProTools, Garage Band, and the many other forms of affordable digital recording formats, broken hearted bedroom songsters can record and upload a song in a single afternoon.

Recording on boom boxes or 4 tracks bought from classified ads was never a preferred means, just the easiest and cheapest way to get the songs on tape. More often than not the hissing, barely audible sounds enhanced the songs but not intentionally. With that said it isn’t the quality of The Freed Man that makes it a difficult listen, it’s the quantity. The new edition of the album features 52 songs and runs over 70 minutes. That’s a hell of a long time to listen to any artist, regardless of their songwriting abilities or recording skills.

The Freed Man is what you would expect as a first outing for a band that’s been synonymous with heart-on-sleeve songs balanced out by sheer noise, chaos, and ridiculousness. Being recorded at various times and with various people makes for a less than coherent work and as most of these songs were written nearing the end of that troublesome time of Barlow’s in Dinosaur, Jr., that is to be expected. Barlow and Gaffney were still working out what would become their ying/yang relationship; Barlow providing the songs about wanting affection and acceptance, Gaffney singing about being stoned and god knows what else while screaming overtop distortion fueled 4 string acoustic guitars. But The Freed Man was necessary to get them to the greatness of III.

Even at 52 songs, many of them are great and completely honest in their self deprecating way. There are snippets warning the listener that each song is a rip-off of every other song Barlow has written and while that’s true, he’s only gotten better at writing that song over time. Such early “classics” such as “Healthy Sick” (covered by Bettie Serveert on their debut album), “Little Man,” and the great “Punch In The Nose” all come from this album. While Lou sings about how he should have sex with as many girls as possible, for the experience, it’s made all the more honest when paired against the hilarious “Lou Rap,” proclaiming him as a “white noise addict.” We’re all screwed up in that post-high school, early college era in the same way; some people just have different and more insightful and entertaining ways, to express it. “Healthy Sick” opens the album as well has his career, by laying the foundation of everything to come from the great songwriter.

Eric Gaffney actually seems rather subdued, compared to his contributions to later albums such as Bubble And Scrape. While he was still finding his role in what was at this time Barlow’s project, his input is enough to make it a better listen as opposed to all those even more poorly recorded Sentridoh & Winning Loser/Losing Loser collections. Songs of his such as “Moldy Bread” and “Cyster” have appeared in live sets and albums later on in an effort to revisit some of the overlooked material he had contributed.

The reissue would actually benefit from being split into 2 discs. Though this may have meant the addition of a few more songs, it would have been easier to digest. This isn’t a suggestion I would make about Daydream Nation or Alien Lanes because The Freed Man isn’t a ground breaking album and as a whole works best because it’s choppy and erratic. The reissue is a gift for all “total hardcore” Sebadoh fans who have either worn out their copies of Weed Forestin or relish opportunity to have many of these songs available on one edition. (Weed Forestin being pieced together from various sources, only a handful of Freed Man tracks appear on that collection.) For newcomers, it may very well prove influential to future home recorders but not an essential document. For us old farts reliving the good ol’ days it shows that there is some good to come out of reunions.

The Destro – As the Coil Unwinds

As the Coil Unwinds is the debut full-length from Texas metal quartet The Destro. The release is being handled by Ironclad Records which is owned by Trevor Phipps of Unearth, so that might give you an idea of the direction this album is taking. It isn’t an Unearth clone or anything like that, but this certainly falls under the “modern American metal” movement alongside bands like Lamb of God.

Lamb of God is actually the easiest band to compare The Destro to. Both bands have a heavy sound based around groovy thrash licks with the occasional nod to metalcore breakdowns, though the ‘core influence is just barely there. Some of the groovy riffing takes on a bit of a Pantera feel, but the beefy recording makes them sound more sinister.

The performances herein aren’t really anything to write home about, but they are quite tight and showcase a decent amount of chops. The grooves get a little samey after 6 or 7 tracks go by and eventually the songs start to blend together completely. Although the guitars sound nice and heavy, and most of the drums sound natural, the kick drum is incredibly weak and clicky, which takes some of the thunder out of the hefty grooves.

As the Coil Unwinds is a decent effort from a young group. Like most bands early in their careers, the band hasn’t really found an identity they can call their own, but if they do, they appear to have the chops to come up with something a little more engaging in the future.

Robin Guthrie & Harold Budd – After The Night Falls / Before The Day Breaks

After more than 20 years from their first collaboration on the Cocteau Twins’ 1986 release The Moon and the Melodies, Harold Budd (the oft-cited Godfather of ambient music) and Robin Guthrie (Violet Indiana, Mahogany collaborator, solo artist, and ex-Cocteau Twins) prove they are still at the top of their game. And that game is a winning combination of Guthrie’s ethereal, reverb-drenched guitars and Budd’s sublimely treated keyboard tones. After The Night Falls and Before The Day Breaks are a pair of simultaneously-released companion CDs by these two maestros of ambient music.

It may take some time and require many attentive spins for the two discs to distinguish themselves, as both contain meditative music as tranquil as a slowly running stream. In fact you may never differentiate the two. The soothing and shimmering, ambient soundscapes tend to possess such vast resonant space that it compels the listener to straddle the line between awake and asleep, vaguely aware of their surroundings, barely cognizant of the music while drifting into oblivion.

Of course, being the excellent purveyors of ambient music that they are, these artists create multi-layered, subtly shifting and serene sonic textures that include vibrant tonal washes among a peaceful backdrop of sound effects and an occasional stray beat that transcends the ambient label and smudges the borders between space, classical, new-age, and shoegaze by criss-crossing through them all with fluidity.

These compositions are not songs with a particular direction or agenda other than to transport the listener away from the drudgery of everyday life and into a more peaceful universe where the musical tides ebb and flow with grand oceans of ambient sonic waves. Or they could be used as soundtracks for floating through boundless regions of space while occasionally encountering a mystical new world or a magnificent far-away starburst.

Like the twin sister album titles, the songs on each disc also have companions. Track two on After The Night Falls is titled “Avenue of Shapes” while track two on Before The Day Breaks is called “A formless Path”. Tracks eight are identified as “The Girl With Colorful Thoughts” and “My Monochrome Vision”, and it continues like this for each of the discs nine tracks. The running time for both discs combined clocks in at just over 82 minutes which may explain why they were released as two shorter discs instead of one long one. But who really cares when the electronically treated guitars and piano sound this sublime!

Magic Bullets – A CHILD but in life yet a DOCTOR in love

If twee pop is your thing, you could do worse than the debut CD from Magic Bullets. The San Francisco band has soaked up influences from the 80s and 90s and the resulting effort sounds familiar enough that fans of the genre will feel at home hearing it.

While the band name-checks Felt, Wedding Present, and even Gang of Four, to my ears this album crosses Marine Girls and Bomb Pops. It’s breezy and light as opposed to dark, driving, and confrontational. Vocally drama-laden, the songs may flirt with darker themes but the surrounding musical packaging says otherwise. There’s some good, jangly guitar work on such tracks as “Yesterday’s Seen Better Days” and “Circumstances.” The rhythm section plays appropriately sharply. The production is fine as well.

The more I listen to the album, the more I hear a Monochrome Set influence. There’s a shared intelligence and aesthetic about the music. I get the feeling, though, that Magic Bullets might not have as much of the self-knowing smirk that let that earlier band get away with so many of its releases.

For true inspiration, you’d be well served to check out this label’s other releases. In particular, the re-issues of For Against and Lucy Show demonstrate the best of the past.

Architecture in Helsinki – Places Like This

Architecture in Helsinki is a serious band. Serious about throwing down the funkiest beats and most frenetic rhythms heard from Melbourne – or anywhere – in a long time. Remember Jacko and his Energizer commercials of the 1980s? Well, he was a shy mute compared to these kooky country mates of his. Architecture in Helsinki’s most recent release, Places Like This, proves that sometimes the third time is the charm, even when both of your previous studio albums drew a fair amount of success and critical acclaim.

Places Like This opens with the ecstatic “Red Turned White,” sounding somewhat like Green Jelly’s lead singer backed by Level 42. The prominence of synthesizers and controlled harmonic yells give the song a manic 80s sensibility. “Heart it Races” is the first single released off Places Like This, and Kellie Sutherland’s high-pitched vocals and manipulated sighs positively dominate the track. Steel drums throughout “Heart it Races” conjure up images of a hedonistic Caribbean hideaway. So many styles and instruments get mashed up on “Hold Music” that it’s damn near impossible to describe this campy romp. Somewhere between the female pleas of “Give it to me baby / Give it to me,” the cowbells, and blasting brass, you’re bound to add “Hold Music” to your mandatory party playlist.

Similarly marvelous mania follows in “Like It or Not” and “Debbie,” which, like most tracks on Places Like This, average about three minutes in length. Architecture in Helsinki gets right to the point; why waste time? “Debbie” is a particular highlight, like a better, rawer cousin to “Club Tropicana” by Wham! Cameron Bird’s falsetto is astounding, and the brass players put Miami Sound Machine to shame. Apropos Wham!, most of “Lazy (Lazy)” recalls George Michael when he was a spontaneous, happy romantic. “Same Old Innocence” brings Places Like This to an emphatic close with massive percussion, synthesized beats, and some of the band’s strongest harmonies. It makes you wonder who’s the biggest Art of Noise fan among Architecture in Helsinki’s members.

Places Like This is a fun album that’s difficult to describe and impossible to forget. If you’re an introvert, Places Like This will launch you outside, ass shaking with a huge grin on your face. If you’re an extrovert, get some friends to pull you down after the party’s over, because you’re about to board a heavenly ride.

Interview with Amy Duncan

Amy Duncan’s vocals are stunningly graceful and wide-ranging, rising to airy, hopeful highs and suddenly sinking to solemn, heart-stopping lows. Amy uses her voice as an instrument, anchored by a serene, yet resonant tone that flows like mercury as she boldly bends, holds, and elongates notes, sounding like the wind blowing over the hollow of a glass bottle in the lower register and suspending upper-range notes mid-air like a high-wire artist. Her modulated and soulful vocal phrasing is striking and lends comparison to the smooth placidity of Meriel Barham of the Pale Saints, the yearning reaches of Sarah McLachlan, the pure lightness of Enya, and the deep tones and conviction of early-day Sinead O’Connor. Pilgrimage, her debut album, is nothing short of a vocal, and lyrics-based (lyrics are clear, spare, and contemplative), masterpiece, supported by soothing, unobtrusive instrumentation.

Delusions Of Adequacy: I recently bought your debut album Pilgrimage, which was released in November 2006, in a record store and I was immediately moved by your captivating voice (so graceful and wide-ranging, from airy highs to sweeping lows) and searching and wise lyrics set against the calm tone of the instruments. What spurred you to create Pilgrimage? What were you involved in before this album? Were you always in the music field?

Amy Duncan: I wasn’t sure that the recordings I’d made myself would be good enough to release. I imagined that if any record company showed interest that the next step would be to go in to a studio with a producer – so when Filippo from Plain Recordings asked if I would make a record for them I was surprised when he wanted the songs I’d produced myself, but felt really happy to be accepted as I am.

Before Pilgrimage, I recorded an album called Wake with producer Mark Freegard. This was a collaboration between myself and a friend David Paton who wrote all the lyrics. It’s not been released yet, but we think it will emerge at the right time!

Up until this point I was mainly a double bass player – I studied classical double bass at music college, before going on to play in the brilliant band Swelling Meg, then with other songwriters, until I made the decision to focus all my energy on my own music.

DOA: From what I’ve read at your official MySpace profile at: http://www.myspace.com/amyduncan, Pilgrimage is totally self-produced – you sing, play all of the instruments, and wrote all of the lyrics. What was this endeavor like? Was it arduous or effortless for you, or maybe a mix of both?

Amy: I absolutely love the process of recording, playing and producing it all myself, because I can hear exactly how it should sound, and it’s lovely to have the freedom to muck about and try things out, in a way I might not do if there was someone else there! So I find it comes really naturally, although there were a few tricky technical moments that were very frustrating, but a great feeling to get through to the other side.

DOA: For those who are reading this and haven’t heard your songs, could you describe your sound and/or style of singing?

Amy: I find this question difficult… My songs are a bit like therapy. They’ve always been a way for me to make sense of, or contain difficult emotions or situations, so that I can observe and learn from a distance. When I hear my recordings, it gives me a feeling of reality, and in that moment the world just is, without needing to fix anything. So in that way, I might describe my songs as meditations from the heart.

DOA: Pilgrimage has very personal, but universal lyrics – about love and belonging, loss and perseverance, the essence of being alive, and many more things. Your album is very “deep”, lyrics-wise; not in an intricate, detailed way, but in a more simplistic, spare way, of bringing emotions and ideas to the surface that listeners can mull over and feel. Have you been writing poetry or lyrics all your life, or was this a new process for you?

Amy: I’ve always loved writing. I used to love writing short stories at school, and when me and my sister were small we sat at the piano and wrote songs about cats and dogs and stuff.

DOA: What has the response been like to your album? Is it like you dreamed it would be or have unexpected surprises popped up along the way?

Amy: I’m really pleased with the response to Pilgrimage. I’ve read some lovely reviews, and haven’t had to deal with a bad one yet! I suppose it’s been a bit difficult as it has been released in the US, and being so far away in the UK, I have no idea really how it has been received. I’m hoping with my next album to get some interest closer to home, as well as further afield.

I started writing my own songs when I was 16. I’d dropped out of the music college in Manchester and returned to a small village in Scotland. (I later finished my degree in Glasgow!) My double bass was still in Manchester, and needing a creative outlet, I started to play a guitar that was lying about, and began writing songs then.

DOA: I find it shocking that you don’t have a record deal to distribute your debut album in the U.K.! Your album deserves to be released in all countries and not just the U.S. Will you be looking into finding an outlet in the U.K. for Pilgrimage?

Amy: I would love Pilgrimage to be released in the UK too! I’m doing my best to put myself out there, with no other help at the moment (I’m hoping that will change soon!). My intention is to find a wider audience, worldwide would be brilliant! So with that clarity, I believe that it will happen, or not, at the right time.

DOA You’re based in Scotland and have played various gigs. What are your shows like? Do you like performing in a live setting, or do you prefer recording in the studio? Have you traveled to other countries to perform?

Amy: I play mainly in small acoustic venues, and enjoy playing live, when there’s a good sound person! I’ve got a dream to recreate my recordings in a live setting with other musicians playing the parts I’ve written. I’m hoping that will happen one day.

DOA: You are currently working on your second album titled Story Of A Girl. How is that coming along? Will it be in the same style of your first album or will you be incorporating different influences? Are you being a workaholic and doing everything yourself again?

Amy: Story of A Girl is now being mastered! The album tells the story of this ‘Girl’ character, who is an aspect of myself. She is a result of certain events from her childhood that she is unable to move on from, and so repeats cycles continuously with no way of being free. The realisation of this character is the beginning of a gentle letting go of her prominence in my being. Finding freedom from the past in order to be free in the present.

Musically its different from Pilgrimage – there is some interesting percussion, it’s slightly more up tempo, and the arrangements are fuller. I’ve created string parts using layered bowed bass, and yes! I’ve done everything myself except for most of the percussion, tablas, and other drum parts which are played by Guy Nicolson.

DOA: Your first album came out late last year and you are already almost finished with your second album – Is there a reason behind your rapid output? Some singers and bands take ages to put out their next record, and sometimes never do!

Amy: I think when my music was suddenly available to potentially a lot of people, with Pilgrimage being released, I was anxious for people to be aware of what more I could do, in terms of production, arrangements, and performance. Also because I write a lot, and I always have new songs and ideas emerging, it feels important to me to record them. I already have some strong ideas for my 3rd album!

DOA: Who have (or what has) inspired you in defining your sound and shaping your albums? Who do you admire in the music field?

Amy: I’m inspired mostly by life and emotions and the need to make sense of things. The sounds that come out feel like a natural occurrence, so I haven’t contrived a particular style. Its changing all the time too, so I don’t feel I need to keep writing in the same style, rather I’m open to anything really.

Artists I admire are Kate Bush, Suzanne Vega, Robert Smith, Joni Mitchell, John Martyn, Nick Drake, Joan Armatrading, Dan Arborise, Holly Thomas, Joan as Police Woman, PJ Harvey, Karine Polwart, Tom Mitchell, Peter Gabriel, Juana Molina, (early) Sinaed O’ Connor, Bjork, David Sylvian and Emily Scott! To name but a few…

DOA: What do you do when you’re not creating music?

Amy: When not creating music, and when I’m not with my partner and son, I sometimes paint, just odd images that come into my head in an abstract way – I’m not very skilled! I also make odd pieces of jewellery from things I find on the beach.I like to meditate and do yoga, when I don’t manage to talk myself out of it…also I love cycling.

DOA: Where can listeners order your album from?

Amy: Pilgrimage is available to buy in record stores throughout the US, or online direct from www.myspace.com/amyduncan and amazon, and lots of other places! Also many sites for downloads, including www.tunetribe.com and www.wovenwheatwhispers.co.uk

Black Kites – All Wrong EP

Ah, yet another band with the word “black” in their name, but this band lives up to it, with guitar-propelled, soaring choruses and “swept-across-the-prairie”, downer vocals. This EP is available on Black Kites’s own record label, Filthy Little Angels, and is comprised of the songs “All Wrong”, “Glass Parade”, and “Sadie”.

Black Kites are comparatively new on the scene, starting out in 2005 in L.A., and they sound like Stoned And Dethroned-era Jesus And Mary Chain hanging out with Mazzy Star. They forgo the narcotic lulls of those bands in favor of a more brisk pace, yet still hold on to a slight alt-country twang to their tunes.

Alan sings and sing-talks in a dry, plain, dispassionate tone, similar to Jim Reid of Jesus And Mary Chain, minus the Scottish accent. Evelyn’s melancholy, nocturnal vocals and inflection recall a less nasal and drowsy Hope Sandoval and a stronger, less breathy Sophie Zelmani.

The tunes are melodic and follow the “verse, chorus, verse” pattern, but do wander away once in a while, especially on the choruses, which are filled with driving guitar rhythms that give the songs a more expansive vibe. These songs may start off slowly, but the build up on the choruses, achieving atmospheric lift-off.

“All Wrong” has an old-time, country feel, with Alan’s laconic vocal delivery, as he straight-forwardly and nasally sings against bell-tone and organ keyboard notes. The verses are quiet and toned down, as a laid-back Alan and Evelyn trade vocal lines. The song soon develops more urgency on the choruses, as guitars kick up the dust and cymbals are smashed, as Evelyn weaves her amber-colored vocals in and out of Alan pointed exclamations. “All Wrong” calls to mind Jesus And Mary Chain’s “Sometimes Always”, a duet which features Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star as guest vocalist.

The next song, “Glass Parade”, is the high point of the EP, with an unshakable chorus of Evelyn’s dulcet, “mourning dove” vocals and shimmering, dynamic guitars. The song starts with sweet, rounded, watery guitar notes that hover in the air as Alan talks almost inaudibly. The guitar strum and beat soon take over and lead into the chorus, with Evelyn exclaiming in a heartbroken tone, sounding like a sharper and more airy Hope Sandoval, as swelling guitars and bell-like keyboards add depth, all bright and upbeat, and a chugging, underlying rhythm propels the song along. The sound fills up with short, circular, reaching guitar crescendos, almost The Church-like in its expansive feel, and backed by a rapid-beat marching drum, guitar twangs, cymbal shimmer, and bell notes. The fast marching beat gradually falls away, leaving only the calm vibe of bell tones and twangy guitar notes.

The closer “Sadie” is reminiscent of the previous song, with the same instruments and similar tempo, but with different vocal patterns. Alan starts sing-talking unassumingly against drums, guitars, and bell-note keyboards. On the choruses, as the guitars rush in, he exclaims in short phrases as Evelyn sings around his voice in a crying, plaintive tone. This song has less dynamic modulation than “Glass Parade” – it’s mostly all brisk-tempo, steady beat, guitars, keyboards, and cymbal shimmer from start to finish.

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