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WARM

Rating:

Originally coming out of Athens, Georgia, pacificUV released their first album on WARM Records in 2002. The album was a success as it earned critical praise and positive reviews. From here, however, the path changed and the band peacefully broke apart as recording for a follow-up EP was underway. Founding member and guitarist Clay Jordan moved from Athens to Portland, Oregon. Here, Jordan teamed up with some new musicians and revived the pacificUV name. With this new line-up, the band approaches a similar sound, but from a different angle.

A slow build of crawling instrumentation is balanced by slow and heavy chords. A warm melody walks atop as softer components shudder underneath. The layering is perfect. “Alarmist” is a great start to Longplay2, but track 2 is even better. “Need” begins on a loud bed of buzzing noises and whining guitars. Voice and instrumentation play a game of cat and mouse as the stacks of sound shift in and out, alternating with a sleepy voice. There are a number of reasons why this song is so good; the somber vocal melody, the layering of the instruments, the tension between parts, the emotive movement, and the overall combination of sounds. This track alone is strong enough to justify the purchase of this album.

Of course, there are other tracks on this album. Six other tracks, actually. And while none of them quite reach the heights set by the first two, none really fall short either. Longplay2 is one of those rare albums where every track is solid. Every track is diverse as well. This could be because the album carries a number of influences that are elegantly mixed into a completely new recipe. Pieces of The Jesus and Mary Chain, Mazzy Star, Spaceman 3, Múm, Sigur Rós, MBV, and Godspeed You Black Emperor are all lightly sprinkled throughout the work. Lightly sprinkled. This album never borrows too heavily and keeps its own sound throughout.

Overall, pacificUV deliver a deep album that rewards repeated plays. It seems that there is always something new to discover as braided layers of sound elegantly wrap themselves around the listener. With its graceful builds, sweeping structures, and beautiful noises, Longplay2 is a recording to listen to closely. And the band, pacificUV, is a band to watch closely. They will only move up from here.

Reviewed by: Richie Corelli

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