Seattle band Thaelo daringly begins The Adeen EP with a full minute of guitar and feedback-generated chaos before the riff of the album's opening track sneaks through the storm. The guitar of Bobby Lewis jets back and forth across the stereo field in fits and starts, flung around in the funnel cloud of sound, suiting the track's title, "Twisted White".

Though atmospheric, the band's sound remains organic, anchoring the songs on simple, unprocessed guitar progressions, with some occasional slide-like techniques. The four-piece is comprised of electric guitarist and vocalist Darcy Hudelson, electric guitarist Bobby Lewis, bassist Jeremy Summer, and drummer Brent Finch.

On "Oklahoma", Hudelson's vocals lead the song through dawn and darkness, drugging the listener with velvety mercy among poppy fields of lazy guitar, and then propelling the song into an entirely different world on the edge of screaming. Such peaks and valleys are revisited in the final track, "Empty Planet", where indie power chords on Hudelson's Les Paul serve as a centerpiece for the song. "Preview" has a truly infectious drum-bass groove, accented by a mad science of guitar colorings, bold vocals, and set off by the sound of a jet ripping past, once again ranging the length of the stereo field.

The band's overall sound is somewhat Radiohead-ish, stewing in its intensity before vaulting toward an anthemic hook, while exploring jazz voicings and unusual rhythm patterns. Their live show is true to their studio sound, well developed and executed – including two sets of A-B amps and a floor of pedals (these folks are vintage gear junkies, to be sure). - (7/10) (0) Comments