The Envy Corps
"Soviet Reunion" CD
Bi-Fi
Records
Genres: indie rock, indie pop, dream pop
Bi-Fi Records
PO Box 1327
Ames IA 50014
Sep 26 - Oct 3 2004 |
To ignore The Envy Corps' similarities to Radiohead and Coldplay
would be downright dishonest, although I do think they get more slack
than they deserve because of it. Soviet Reunion is a
serious, dramatic pop album - the singing may resemble that of Thom
Yorke, and the infectious, jangly guitars may recall certain Parachutes
tendencies, but the overall approach is strikingly listenable.
If you just let yourself go, The Envy Corps will know where to
take you.
After a brief and, as far as indie pop discs go, increasingly
customary ambient intro, the band gets things started with the third
and second parts of "You'd Look Good In Wings," a trilogy
without a beginning. In a clever bit of programming, part three
comes first on the disc, heading things off in a spacey, flowing
vein. The second part is tighter and - perhaps - more
accessible, exploiting the public's current love of chiming guitars
and dreamy choruses. Prickly, jangled guitar solos complement
the song's lush texture - given a bit of publicity, this could become
huge.
After the album's initial two-parter, we guide ourselves through
eight other songs, all of which continue in the theme of dreamy and
dramatic indie rock. "Prisoners of War" and "A
Letter to Our Senator" are two of Soviet Reunion's best
songs - the former is distinctly drastic and sweeping, with the Yorke-esque
vocals given particular focus; the latter, meanwhile, is slow and twinkly,
armed with some beautiful hooks and a peaceful, relaxing mood.
The other songs are all solid, but few stick out - the band's formula
is fairly constant throughout Soviet Reunion, so only the songs
with "single" potential manage to distinguish themselves from the rest.
Soviet Reunion makes for the ultimate dream rock getaway
disc. Although this album can be fairly derivative at times,
that should not distract any true pop fan from listening to it over
and over.
86%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
11 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2004] |
