This soundtrack to Joe Bargdill’s “Missing” is one of those few soundtracks that can be enjoyed without ever having seen the film. But likewise you feel like you have because the emotions and an almost subtle narrative that is felt throughout...the overall mood is this amazing specter of brooding doom that’s a liaison between pop and lo-fi.

The CD opens with "Falling Missiles", the track that ended up being my favorite. It's a dark song with a repetitive guitar/bass phrase, around which Upstate build the song and instrumental theme. We've got a bit of modern rock, a dash of prog, and a hint of psychedelia and even some Pink Floyd near the end. I like the full sound produced by the multiple guitars, both acoustic and electric, on the remaining songs, and we're treated to little bits of psychy guitar from time to time as well. And Upstate do a good job of creating a dark atmosphere that is more contemplative and still upbeat, than foreboding or depressing.

Recently I’ve been steadily acquiring the music of the Dishwater Psychics and their related bands on the Friendly Psychics label, at each stage telling myself that I must post a review in CD Baby about these guys. I think I’ve kept putting it off because in some ways it’s difficult to convey the special qualities of this music. The deceptive simplicity and subtlety, understated melodic twists and turns and a rare feel for texture and tempo add up to a highly distinctive style whose X-factor is hard to pin down.The lyrics are full of surprising and memorable phrases and the playing is always at the service of the songs and devoid of empty flash. So now I’m finally putting this review on the “Missing” soundtrack page because this might be the CD with the least obvious connection to the other stuff. As the list of other reviews on this page confirms, this EP, under the band name Upstate, is terrific music that relies not at all on the accompanying movie and easily stands on its own merits. After many listens I can only echo everyone else’s enthusiasm. Among its many qualities it has that (for want of a better word) haunting atmosphere so characteristic of this group of musicians, a mood that at times resembles a kind of folky Joy Division. This is perfectly exemplified by the bleak graphics on "The Signal Will Fade" EP. The related CDs I own are the two by Dishwater Psychics, “Candlewax Horizon” and “The Signal Will fade”, “Have A Seat” by Tarantula Dinner Party, and “Reunion of Cynics” by Wicked Immigrant. They give voice to a variety of musicians, many of whom cross over onto more than one or two of these CDs, and you can get most of them on CD Baby. The common feature throughout all these releases are the vocals by John Wenzel. It was probably Wenzel’s voice that initially drew me in when I listened to the track samples on CD Baby for the Psychic’s debut “Candlewax Horizon”. There’s something instantly appealing about his tone which, while being almost insistantly melancholic, is also questioning and undefeated. And when the always smart and often beautiful lyrics occasionally turn sharp or a little bitter, Wenzel’s understatement makes them all the more effective. “Candlestick Horizon” is patchy in song quality compared to the later stuff, but its mood is compelling and convincing and leaves you wanting more. So then it’s on to “The Signal Will Fade”, a five track EP that represents a real step forward for the band. The opening line of the first track is a stunner and you immediately know the Psychics are gonna deliver again. For me, High Pitched Racer, with its skipping rhythm and sprinkling of acoustic guitar is a highlight of this small gem of a collection. The trippier and fuzzier “Have a Seat” EP by Tarantula Dinner Party is an intriguing shift into another zone but with all the same virtues intact. That atmosphere gets turned up a notch with some well judged effects on the opener Rockets at Ten. “Wicked Immigrant”, the 2004 release by the Reunion of Cynics, is a truly rich full length album. The music has an unforced confidence and consistency that while it may not have the one or two stand-outs that mark the other CDs, has a compensating fluency and lack of any miss-steps that makes it endlessly listenable. A cello appears on half a dozen tracks to great effect, there can be few instruments more suited to embellishing their sound. The occasional vocal harmonies are more than welcome and personally I’d happily have a few more of them. Highly recommended. In short, almost all the above music could be gathered together on one giant CD without anything feeling out of place. It is all of a piece and I recommend these CDs to anyone looking for genuinely personal and expressive independent music. Four and a half stars.

Upstate is an amazing gang of musos, you know? ...pensive and gloomy style really send shivers down one's spine. -From the radio show EXTRAÑO REVOLTIJO, in Rengo, Chile.