Search - Pacific Uv :: Longplay 2

So, what comes after post-rock?

Shoe Gazer | United States | 03/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have no idea what Simon Reynolds would think about this music, but I think it's amazing to see this band take so many vital influences and genres, swish them together into a stew, throw the result away, then create this album. Sure, you can hear echoes of a lot of your favorite bands on Longplay 2 and lazy reviewers will trot out the usual Spacemen 3 and Sigur Ros comparisons, but in reality Pacific UV sound like none of them.



There's a distinct pop aesthetic that runs through even the most genre-busting tracks; I know of no other band that could take loud fuzz-pedal guitars, buzzsaw analog synths, a free-jazz sax solo and a dusty church organ and deftly weave those elements into a pop masterpiece in the song "Need" that will have you humming in the shower for weeks. And that's only the second track. Things only get more bizarre and more stunningly beautiful the rest of the way, before concluding with a minimalist ambient piano-and-strings cloud cryptically titled "LJIV" (the band have listed Michael Nyman as an influence).



According to the liner notes, vocals are handled by a rotating cast (guitarist Clay Jordan, bass player Matt Kline, and guest vocalist Carolyn Berk) and some would argue this singer-by-committee approach detracts from the overall flow, but think of it as the best mix tape you've ever been given and you won't mind the brief mental recalibration from song to song.



It's early yet, but Longplay 2 and the new Vampire Weekend record are the most original, creative and flat-out best things I've heard thus far in 2008. Highly recommended."