The Invisible Cities
"Demo CD v1.0" 3-inch CDR
Self-released
Genres: lo-fi, indie pop, indie rock
Oct 21 - 27 2002 |
Before
I start this review, I'd just like to say that we here at Indieville
love little 3-inch CDs like this. They're super fun to look at and
super fun to listen to. So please, don't hesitate to send them
just because you're not sure we have the technology to play them - we
do. But now on to the review.
The Invisible Cities are a neat little band that play nice
little lo-fi pop ditties. They have been playing shows since the start
of this year, and this is their first recorded effort. While the
recording quality is understandably low, there is still a lot of
promise in these three songs. Starting off with "Bumper
Cars," a bootleg-quality live recording, you can see that the
band know they're way around a pop hook. The song is surprisingly
catchy, with a nice, fast-paced beat and a pleasant vocal style. It
brings to mind some of the bands on the Cincinnati-based Datawaslost
label, especially Structure Factor 8 and Post-Haste.
"Birthday," meanwhile, is a cleaner recording. While
still decidedly lo-fi (in that endearing, Tom Pollard-esque
way), it isn't live and thus more attention is paid to getting the
sound right. The track itself is beautiful, sounding like a mixture of
Helium, Cat Power, and early Pedro The Lion. It's
a refreshing bit of enchanting indie pop.
"Double-Fisted" closes off the album on a completely
different vein. The band is going for a harsher, more angular rock
feel, and they seem to have captured it. Taking influences from Pavement
and the harder songs of The Pixies, the track is a fun romp
that is surprisingly unaffected by the recording restraints.
Altogether, there is no denying that The Invisible Cities
show promise. Heaps and heaps of promise, in fact. Here's to them one
day getting a four-track!
(Note: All of these songs are available online here,
so check them out!)
85%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
3 tracks; released 2002] |
