Search - Sunset Valley :: Icepond

Slower-paced and less noisy than their previous two releases, Icepond finds Sunset Valley coming into their own as a purveyor of more than just infectious Pixie-ish pop. The hooks are still here, but you might have to dig a little harder to find them. Just when you're about to doze off to the gloomy indie rock of "Matinee Idol," for instance, in floats the pleasantly druggy chorus with its soaring, psychedelic guitar. From the bouncy reverb of "Say Ow" to the hypnotic drone of "Nautilus Sun," this record starts out high as a kite and never quite comes down. The spacey harmonies of "Blackberry Bushes" are what might happen if you gave Tommy James and the Shondells a sip off the same batch of Kool-Aid as Syd Barrett. Country-tinged "Janey O" is sunny and sweet; "Wired Nights" is a frenetic three-chord glam rocker; and "Misery Jet" essays shimmery '70s-style pop. If you're expecting the slick, speedy sound of previous efforts, Icepond may take a few listens to warm up to, but in this case the fishing is well worth the effort. And you know what? None of it sounds a thing like the Pixies. --Mary Park