This is one of those records that is so great and engaging that it puts you right in the moment. Members of Burning Sensation, Rank/Xerox, and Total Control get together and create excellent post punk that draws influences from the greats. “I Wonder” is poppy, though a bit dark and moody, mixing New Order with the Church. It’s the sort of song perfect for rainy afternoons. “Keep Waiting” is fuzzed out and dark, similar to Loveless My Bloody Valentine. I like the minimalism of “Glass Coffin” and how it sounds like nothing else on the record, yet it fits. As the song progresses, they add more sound. It gets noisier and more disjointed as it goes. “Darkness” has a definite Joy Division Unknown Pleasures vibe: sparse guitars with a cold tone, driven by the bass and drums. Hearing this song made my day. It’s great; how it builds and reveals itself over the course of a few minutes. The vocals are somewhere between a whisper and a murmur. I know I’m making comparisons to some great bands out there, but the influences are influences, and this record is great. The more I listen to this, the more I’m of the opinion this is one of the best of the year.
–M.Avrg (SmartGuy, [email protected], smartguyrecords.com)