Posted on: June 24, 2009 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

No idea how you can be gloomy in LA, but something’s bumming out the kids in War Tapes. On The Continental Divide, the band’s first full-length, the group draws strongly from fellow somber rockers like Joy Division, Interpol and Echo and The Bunnymen. The result is a solid effort, if a bit repetitive.

The second track, “Dreaming of You” and the song “Use Me” are among the strongest on the album showcasing Neil Popkin’s memorably soaring voice and back up vocals from bassist Becca Popkin. Having garnered a fair amount of press so far from their great live shows opening for Smashing Pumpkins and the Bravery, War Tapes have just the right mix of strong showmanship (thanks to Neil) and decent enough songs to make them the darlings of every indie kid with subscription to Paste and a daily pitchfork habit.

Rating: 7.9 out of 10

War Tapes – The Continental Divide (CD)/ 12 Tracks/Sarathan Records/www.myspace.com/wartapes

Leave a Comment