I've been too lazy and now i have a hundred records to review. I'm starting with this one because it's a 7" and i love vinyl. So, See My Sound is a band from damp and chilly Newcastle and they play sad slow songs with intertwined electric guitars and slow heavy drums. Some of us call this post rock -for no obvious reason- post-apocalyptic landscapes and desperate helplessness forever. There are three tracks on this 7" and guess what my favourite is the first one. "Hidden Depths", that is. I really dig (i've been trying to put 70s vocabulary back in perspective) the dubby bass riff in the first part and then there's the second part, more guitar-centered. It's really good, The band knows how to create an atmosphere and the way they have it evolve throughout the song is impressive.

Let's flip that coaster. "Insomnia" sounds a lot like Arab Strap's "The Smell of Outdoor Cooking," the same clumsy melodies, the same falsely laid back delivery -someone sings through multiple fx pedals. That's not bad, i love Arab Strap, but both songs are really too similar. "Stand and Wait" is the less impressive track off the album, it sounds a bit like the band didn't really know whether they wanted it to sound like a sunny morning or a rainy night. Images are important in instrumental music.

-Barbara H

/sept 1st 2004/