Clouds Forming Crowns
"Race to the Blackout" CD
Morphius Records
Genres: indie rock, indie pop,
lo-fi
November 2006 |
On their sophomore album, GBV contributors Tim and
Todd Tobias have switched in rock for pop, creating a noisy,
energetic romp that really strays from their former band's styles.
Distanced from their debut, Clouds Forming Crowns take no
prisoners on Race To The Blackout, and I'm really enjoying
their new take on things. The aural assault starts right from the bat
with lo-fi, bass-heavy JSBX-esque scorcher "Phantom Dog Black
Water". It takes until the third song until CFC slow down a bit
and become more overtly melodic - this one has a GBV touch in
the vocals, with a vaguely proggy mood throughout. The rest is a
combination of strong rock music and more mid-tempo pop, with
"Floating" and the grungy title-track ranking among the most
infectious and immediately enjoyable tunes. There is a certain
psychedelic mood present here that touches upon a lot of Pollard
and co. work, also referencing the likes of Hopewell and
Neutral Milk Hotel. For me, the more melodic excursions are
definitely preferable to the bassy rock songs, which exude style but
don't do much to separate themselves from one another.
As a record, this works surprisingly well, coming off for me as a
cross between JSBX's Extra Width and GBV's
Under The Bushes, Under The Stars. There's more than enough solid
material here for GBV fans and music lovers
alike to
enjoy - despite some of its songs being a bit one-dimensional,
Race to the Blackout sustains multiple, full-album listens.
foo-space
83%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 12 tracks, 38:53,
distributed by
the label,
released 2006] |