from splendidezine.com
| Two bands from Providence -- and hey, who knew there were two bands in Providence? -- have teamed up to produce one of the strongest, most consistently satisfying split seven-inches I've heard in weeks. Vaguely Starshaped weigh in first with the indie-power-pop goodness of "Pretty Early" -- an earnest, urgent rocker boasting stutter-step drumming, chunky rock riffing and charmingly strained vocals. The song runs a good minute longer than most power-pop fare, but the band uses the extra time well, indulging in unpredictable rhythmic twists, an extended meditative bridge and a supplemental chorus. You'll thank them for that chorus -- or perhaps curse them -- when you wind up singing "You've gotta get up pretty early / if you're going to try to outwit me" for days on end. As for Thebrotherkite's shoegazery "Misery Walk"... Imagine that it's the hottest, most humid day of the year, and you're sitting on a bicycle at the top of the steepest hill in town. "Misery Walk"'s slightly muffled blissout sprawl is like riding down that hill no-handed, feeling the wind on your skin and the pavement beneath your wheels. You're absolutely certain that, with just a little more speed or a bit more wind behind you, you could fly. And here's a bonus -- when the song ends, you don't have to drag your ass back up to the top of that hill. Each band establishes a discrete identity, and they're on equal footing in the songwriting and performance stakes. No question about it -- this one's a keeper. -- George Zahora |
from Lost At Sea
| The Losing Blueprint released a great compilation last year that showed a level of discretion above the average small-scale indie imprint, and these two Rhode Island bands are no exception. The Brother Kite's "Misery Walk" is a straightforward rocker with a Where You Been-era Dinosaur Jr. guitar buzz. Or maybe it's a bit more like Yo La Tengo's little brothers sneaking into the studio late at night during the I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One sessions. Vaguely Star Shaped had one of the best tracks on the Losing Blueprint's compilation and their entry here is not as striking but still quite good. They hit the chorus with "You gotta get up pretty early/ If you're going to try to outwit me" on top of a post-grunge pop drum build in the chorus contrasted with a repeated three-note descending guitar in the verses. These are both direct, winning pop songs influenced by some fine '90s indie rock bands. East Coast fans of the aforementioned bands might want to catch them live to hear more. -- Erick Bieritz |
from INK19
| Vaguely Starshaped is a band of emo power poppers who have a knack for creating very catchy hooks, while not sacrificing the rock in the process. Their song here, "Pretty Early," could pass for a Jimmy Eat World rip off or a nice Sum 41 b-side. If they're going for big time radio air-play, then this is one that could easily garner a lot of attention from the teenie-boppers: it rocks fairly well, and is very catchy. The Brother Kite appear to have more of a flair for layered indie rock, ala Daydream Nation-era Sonic Youth, crossed with the vocal stylings of Polvo or Apples in Stereo. "Misery Walk" is a really dreamy, propulsive rocker that takes the listener through a lovely trip of pretty birds, clouds and otherworldly peace. Their sound kind of reminds me of Ride or Curve, which is always good! The artwork to this 7" is spectacular: a simple design on off yellow paper, featuring an olive green, night-time scene of pine trees in the snow. It's really beautiful. To summarize, this is a fun little 7" with lovely artwork that won't change the world, but is definitely worth a listen. |
from Indieville
| Awhile back I had the pleasure of reviewing CDRs by both thebrotherkite and Vaguely Starshaped. Personally, I liked thebrotherkite's sound most, although I thought that Vaguely Starshaped had a lot of potential. At the time I felt that both bands could become the next big indie outfits in time, if given the chance. Well, here they are together on one delicious slab of vinyl... mmmm! Side A houses one track by thebrotherkite, "Misery Walk." Now, this is the side I expected the most from. tbk play a fantastic sort of melodic noise rock that comes at you with crashing walls of guitars and irresistible melodies. This song is no exception - one listen should get any indie rock fan hooked. I am SO looking forward to their debut album. Vaguely Starshaped populate the grooves of side B. They have a more youthful, uppity sound, one that didn't work all the time on their debut CDR. But they seem to have really perfected their craft on this 7", and their contribution, "Pretty Early," is a funky, energetic slice of indie rock that is as catchy as all heck. Everything about it, from the young, almost-emo-but-not vocals to the ultra-tuneful guitars, is very well-done. If this is the direction that Vaguely Starshaped are heading, then my ears have been permanently pricked. Scenesters, listen up - this split-7" could mark the entrance of two fantastic new bands into the international indie rock arena. -- Matt Shimmer |
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