Album Notes

"Comparing a new band to Radiohead is often useless, I know. No one really takes it seriously and for good reason too. There are no bands really quite like Radiohead; they are in a league of their own. But listening to several of the tracks on Ebb and Flow, it leaves room for some rare comparisons to be made. While a few of their snarly power-pop odes in the vein of “Excuses and Complaints” will make such comparisons irrelevant, there are several elements in the more complex tracks like “Challenger Deep” and “Country Song” that make it justifiable. All those in doubt should take the album for a spin; “Challenger Deep” contains immediate likenesses in Stieg’s outstanding vocals. He has the ability to alternate between pitches on a whim, successfully doing so in collaboration with the instrumental tempo and dramatic appeal. “A Blink Remembered” is a largely acoustic track that, while simplistic, contains a gleeful melody that is one of the finest on an album full of many. Even the catchy “Excuses and Complaints” sees fleeting diversity in various sections, with an enjoyable punk-esque chorus later supplemented by an impressive showcasing of bouncy keyboards. The last several minutes of the song closes out the album spectacularly, being an impressive display of the band’s cumulative talents. Ebb and Flow is available now and has been since last year. With that in mind, it is incredibly surprising to me how this band’s reputation is not bigger. With an album like Ebb and Flow, the size of it should equal their hefty, though proficiently executed, ambitions." - Obscure Sound 2008