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Here it is, folks… my final installment in the new shoegaze
records of 2004. And maybe, I've been saving the best for last.
Air Formation makes music the way that music is supposed
to be made. Pure and simple. Walls of guitar, floating vocals,
heavy use of the ride cymbal, and just enough feedback, all add
up to some of the finest rock music that the world has seen since
Slowdive's Just For A Day. Most certainly, Neil
Halstead can be proud of the effect that his early band has
had on the world… and rightly so.
Every moment of Stay Inside/ Feel Everything is a moment
of shoegaze brilliance. From the opening delayed guitars and ride
cymbal of "Turns Into Sky" to the final seconds of the
melancholy "Here Comes The Rain", Air Formation have
crafted a piece of musical art that breathes new life into a once
dying genre. This is accomplished by adhering to the rules set
forth by the earliest shoegazer bands, staying well within the
boundaries of the sound, yet not simply playing the same notes
by rote. There is no sense of plagiarism here, only that sincerest
form of flattery. Air Formation definitely creates their own voice
inside the choral of shoegaze.
Songs like "Turns Into Sky" are instantly familiar
to a seasoned 'gazer like myself. The slow musical build to
a noisy crescendo is compelling and highly enjoyable. The dense
guitars of "Fallen Leaves" are comforting to my ears.
Dirty bass guitar gives "Seethrustars" an added dimension
of sonic fullness. "Stay Inside, Feel Everything"
pulls out the production tricks and feels like two songs within
a song. It has every single trademark that makes for an undeniably
brilliant shoegaze track; vibrant synth pads, ride cymbal, and
molasses thick guitars. "Caught Upon The Waves" adds
just a bit of indie flair, while "Here Comes The Rain"
is set to an ambient noisescape filled with acoustic guitars
and pleasant AM radio vocals.
Did I mention the ride cymbal? This is by far one of my favorite
records of the new millennium… and I don't think it's only
the flu medicine talking.
-Embo Blake
Track Listing:
1. Turns Into Sky
2. Fallen Leaves
3. Seethrustars
4. Why I Lost You
5. Full Flight
6. Stay Inside, Feel Everything
7. Caught Upon the Waves
8. Here Comes The Rain
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