 The
Kuffs
"Self-Titled" CDEP
Self-Released
Genres: space rock, indie rock, shoegazer
e-mail the band
Aug 11 - 17 2003 |
Last
I saw The Kuffs, they had just released a short CDR EP, Figures
Patterns + Objects, that had the right ideas but failed to keep my
attention for multiple listens. But that was last year, and this is
now. The band is back with a new self-titled EP (this time not on CDR,
but real CD), and right from the start I can tell that they've cleaned
up their sound considerably.
The Kuffs play a style of emotional, epic indie space rock
that has quite a bit of commercial appeal. The first song,
"Juggernaut," boasts a nice verse and chorus part, but
spends a bit too long with the intro. "Echoing Absurd,"
meanwhile, is a strong space rock track; the fluent vocals go well
with the song's massive, blissed-out guitar chords. "Such a
Pretty Scene," meanwhile, is a great piece of space pop with a
solid guitar part. Finale "Dreaming" is almost shoegazer in
its slow, paced rhythm and guitar fuzz. The vocals aren't as 'gazer-esque,
though; as the track progresses, it turns into a dead ringer for a Radiohead
track. The lead singer's vocals are similar to those of Thom Yorke,
and the guitar part just rings "Paranoid Android".
All in all, this EP is another step forward for a new, young band.
I'm looking forward to seeing what The Kuffs come up with next.
If they can improve so well melodically and stylistically between EPs,
they should have a real winner of an album out soon.
84%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 4 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2003] |
