Song of the Day - August 12, 2005

I guess I am stuck in the slowcore groove, but I don't mind. Thee More Shallows are from the dreary, relatively cool environment of San Francisco. Could their locale influence their musical style? The track "Cloisterphobia" is downright sinister. One first hears a simple drum beat and a minimal repetitive guitar riff, but off in the distance, one can hear what appears to be a faint howling or groaning. Then David Kesler's melancholy vocals enter into the mix. As this is happening, the intensity is slowly building. Faster, louder drum beats are joined by the rising volume of Kesler's vocals, cymbals crash, the guitars come forward in the mix, and then it all suddenly drops back down to a serene level. In a way, I sensed the influence of Joy Division, but Thee More Shallows are not as bleak; their sound is more layered and not as intense. Regardless of their influences, "Cloisterphobia" is an excellent song. Click here to listen. I recommend you listen to their whole album More Deep Cuts. Excellent tracks include: "2 AM" with its toy piano, "Freshman Thesis" - a nice use of strings, and "Pre-Present" - Prozac in a song.

tags: rhapsody slowcore