Like a trip to
Olympia, WA in 1995, Lozen whirs through indie rock
influences like a music critic through similes; amid the angular
guitar chimes and
talk-singing, one hears the imprints of Versus, Unwound,
and Velocity Girl - to name a brief few. This unconscionably
thick slab of vinyl houses these six exploits admirably, be
it the Helmet-esque power chords of aptly-titled "Rumbles" or
the hazy-eyed ennui of unusually melodic "Earth People" (a Heavy
Vegetable B-side, you'd think). The record's fault is its lack
of immediacy - a tough pill to swallow on an EP - though it
still packs a hefty wallop thanks to its dissonant guitars
and stop/start dynamics. Oona's defining moment is its five minute closer,
which meanders dazedly through Slint-esque complacency
before plummeting into a sinister grunge march that would have gotten
serious feet moving (and heads banging) in any mid-90s indie rock
venue.
