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12 Memories
10/16/2003 6:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Rob O'Connor
They've been considered Radiohead-lite for their atmospheric textures and alluring pop hooks and overall kind, unpretentious demeanor. And that's a shame, because they're better than any imagined art-project. All grown up, and having faced sudden death as a band (their drummer broke several bones in his neck and was told he would never walk again--wrong!), they've re-emerged with a fourth album that's weighted with tunes that approach middle age with tension and caution. They still write in elusive daydreams that occasionally point towards concrete topics (September 11 haunts this album), but nothing's going to get in the way of a gorgeous melody, of which there are plenty here. Try "Quicksand," "Re-Offender," and "Walking Down The Hill" for starters. The orchestral touches give the group the symphonic wideness they deserve and should they decide to forsake their innate conciseness and flesh out a la the Pink Floyd, why that'd be something, too.
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