Infinite August
"A Loss So Dear" CD
Self-released
Genres: indie pop, indie rock, lo-fi
email
the band
Dec 8 - 14 2003 |
Although
A Loss So Dear appears, from the cover art, to be as
unspectacular as an EP can appear, its six songs are some of the most
pleasant, infectious ditties to come around in a long time. Infinite
August, comprised of Cincinnati scenesters Mike Detmer (The
Spectacular Fantastic, Folk?) and Ben Walpole (The
Minor Leagues), is a duo worth your attention.
While I am not personally familiar with Walpole's musical
projects, I have long paid attention to Detmer's output, and
its evidence is certainly apparent on this disc. A Loss So
Dear employs a lot of Mike's lo-fi training, and his
wonderful melodic sensibility is apparent on many of these
songs. "Sarah's Got a Headache Again," for example, is
pure Ionik / Datawaslost DIY pop, and "Little Pieces" is a
possible homage to the country-pop leanings Detmer exemplified
on his last Spectacular Fantastic album, New Equations for
the Simple Mind. It's clear that Detmer and Walpole's
styles complement each other well, and though this disc is short, it's
also intensely listenable. The only flop is "Where It
Stands," which isn't awful but doesn't impress as much as the
other songs do - its use of loops is intriguing, but some of the
melodies are bit of a stretch.
While the Cincinnati scene is notorious for rapid cross-breeding
and short-lived side projects, here's to Infinite August
sticking around for a full-length; after a promising EP like this, it
would be criminal for Detmer and Walpole to end things
now.
80%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 6 tracks, distributed by Galaxy
CDs, released 2003] |