Album Notes

"....like Radiohead with a touch of Aphex Twin. Experimental enough to not be lumped in to a genre, radio friendly enough (that it won't) be ignored by the mainstream." - The Weekly Volcano

"To put it simply, Bombs Into You is like a jittery electronica extravaganza. The album features such semi-deconstructed beats and a generally whirring guitar-meets-synth combo that it’s kind of hard to listen to without some form of head bobbing and/or toe tapping. This is not a sit down and enjoy the music kind of CD. Bombs Into You is aiming to make you move.

This is made evidently clear from the get-go with 'Stay The Best' which quickly bursts with a pulsing, buzzing beat, the aforementioned “whirring” effect, and some sneering vocals (especially on the chorus) that sound sort of like an angrier, less draggy Placebo. 'So Lead' follows a similar route, opening with rolling drums and airy harmonies before twisting into stronger, once again biting vocals and some grungy guitar piled into the chorus. 'Absence Does' offers a nice change of pace with some moodier, sadder sounding guitar and much prettier, softer vocals. The song does pick itself up near the end, bringing the tougher vocals and noisier music back in for a little while, but I personally wish both had been excluded in this case. 'Absence Does' sports a vulnerable tone that most of the songs on the album are lacking that really pulled me in, and the additions at the end distracted from this.

So, it’s already been established that Bombs Into You has the kind of sound that might launch a dance party in your bedroom, but another very blatant quality to the album is its rawness. There’s something about a lot of the songs that sound…the opposite of the more smoothed down electronica you’ll hear. The edges here are right out in the open, and this causes a tense vibe through the album that might be enough to set Bombs Into You apart from their contemporaries in the genre. A shining example of this is “There’s Something Good Here, I Swear It”, the closest to a rock song that Bombs Into You comes, which features pounding drums, heavy guitar, and determined strong vocals which combine in a way that reminded me a little bit of a younger Incubus.

'Arrested To You' and 'Move Me' stood out the most to me on the album. 'Arrested To You' has a jerky guitar, pulsing beat, slightly softer-spoken vocals that eventually are layered in with some stronger harmonies that bring the song to a desperate, jarring climax. 'Move Me' has a twisted electronic beat with guitar that, in comparison, is somewhat tragic sounding and hushed vocals before building up in the third verse to a stronger drum and more passionate vocals.

Bombs Into You merges raw, danceable beats and twittering electronica hints with edgy vocals, resulting in an album that shows a lot of potential. There are still some quirks that could use a little bit of working out, but they’re usually pretty small and are the sort that will fix themselves with time and experience. As a whole, the album is an easy, enjoyable listen; with just enough moodiness to show that the electronica wave isn’t all Bombs Into You is riding on."

By Cassie Gressell - ForTheSound.com
Published: May 16, 2007