steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

REVIEW
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Nerve City

"Sleepwalker" EP

Sacred Bones

Genre: tin n' reverb

Richmond, VA

May 2010

Buried under a sea of tinny sheen, this psych-minded Virginian belts out treble-heavy melodies that might have been recorded through a hole in the bathroom door of a venue at some obscuro late-60s acid-pop show. The Sleepwalker EP repeatedly exploits a collision between sugary folk-pop and off-kilter, psychedelic garage, as is best witnessed on the glorious title track. "Sleepwalker" rings forth with resplendent guitar chords and a winsome vocal melody, though the lyrics themselves are vividly dark; it's a delightful juxtaposition that is commonly encountered on this record – that is, when the words are intelligible. Elsewhere, surf-inflected "Canaries" reeks of a fragrant Brian Jonestown Massacre influence, and "Armory," which would fit in on an über-limited sixties psych-folk comp, stomps through a glorious romp which builds to a triumphant melodic turn. Interestingly, the last two tracks diverge stylistically from the rest, be it on the warped, reverberating blues of "Runaway" or the Shadows-esque roll of "Sleepwalker Pt. 2." Yet -- perhaps due to the tinny sound, or the excess of reverb -- this entire record somehow fits together delightfully as a unit. And it's a memorable, enrapturing one at that.

nerve city's myspace

From another Nerve City record:

Michael Tau

[Vitals: 6 tracks, distributed by the label, released 2010]