Rivertubes
"Force Field" CDR
The
Zen Ranch
Genres: lo-fi, indie rock, indie pop
Dave Hiney
16407 Stackpole Road
Monroe WA, 98272
Jan 12 - 18 2004 |
Rivertubes
is a Washington state-based lo-fi indie rock band that specializes in spacey,
noisy pop songs drenched in tape fuzz but dripping with raw
hooks. Elements of Guided By Voices, Eric's Trip/Elevator,
and Tullycraft are all present in their sound, which is a
remarkably compelling one.
"Cats Fly Dog Kites" is one of the disc's best songs -
it's got a psychedelic folk feel, brimming with pretty hooks and a
finely crafted Elevator To Hell-esque chorus. "Go To
The Circus," on the other hand, is a crunchy, vaguely Pavement-influenced
pop tune that's as infectious as an Oasis single.
Meanwhile, "Standard Issue Insect" is much different, with
an enjoyably quirky indie rock sound not far off from early Camper
Van Beethoven work.
But don't go on thinking Force Field is perfect - there are
certainly some downsides to this album. "Mandoor," for
example, fails to hold on to the listener's attention due to a lack of
effective melody. "Crisp" is also irritating in its
needless experimentation, but is short too, fortunately.
All in all, Force Field isn't perfect, and it certainly may
be a bit too lo-fi for some listeners, but for those dedicated DIY
indie poppers out there, it will make for a very worthwhile purchase.
84%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 11 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2003] |
