Effusion 35

"Stonewind" CD

Self-released

Genre: alt rock, rock

July 10 2008

Grungy Philadelphia local act Effusion 35 sound a lot like a high school garage band, except that it's been around (in some capacity) since 1998 and its members are all well past their proms. Citing The Velvet Underground, R.E.M., Led Zeppelin, and Nirvana as influences, this unpolished band's rough edges betray the coy Coleridge reference of its name. The first noticeable problem with Stonewind is that its heavy sound doesn't accommodate the lo-fi recording conditions involved in its creation. Rarely does the band convey its performance energy effectively on these eleven songs; tracks like "Missing Time" and "Anhedonia" turn out abysmally as a result. Also troubling is the album's lack of melodic and creative value. As the members Effusion 35 thrash their guitars and sing away at the top of their lungs, I can't help but feel disinterested for much of Stonewind's duration. That isn't to say Effusion 35 doesn't show promise - bright spot "Soma (It's Not Enough)" is an unarguably melodic rock song that is easily this disc's best; however, the majority of this falls well short of the expectations you'd expect from a professionally released album, much less an enjoyable one.

e35's myspace

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youuuuuuuutube!: stonewind promo video

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 11 tracks, distributed by the band, released 2008]