Posted on: December 29, 2013 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

 

The high-energy of Supercreep is something that works well with the lavish production present throughout the disc. Different sections of the disc really show Jody’s diverse array of influences, something that makes the average tone of this disc – essentially a Weezer with instrumental intelligence – resonate throughout. Something that Supercreep has that most other acts in which one person is the main influence is this diversity, creating another dimension to Jody’s music that make popularity something achievable. “Mushroom Cloud” has a guitar riff that singlehandedly sets the tone for the track, something that does change as the disc spins on.

The electronic-sounding “One Day” seems to run a little close to The Network, but delves into the subject material that was present in the surprisingly deep New Wave genre. “Time” continues the electronic feel to Supercreep’s music, and it is in this more easily malleable format that Jodi can truly get across the tremendous emotional weight of each lyric ey spouts out. By the time that “Evolution” kicks into full gear, the atmosphere that is created by the synthesizer brings an amount of dynamic tension worthy of the best (worst) horror movie. Skillfully moving through different conventions into unexplored territories (track lengths) , Supercreep’s strongest suit comes in the fact that they create such a vibrant sound out of a traditionally-stale genre.

Hell, “Polite” even moves beyond the Rufus Wainwright/Thom York-mixed vocals to incorporate an electronic interlude that would seem perfectly at home during a Wendy Carlos disc. Perhaps the best track on the disc, “Fire Escapes” uses sunny, ethereal synthesizers to really elicit an indie-rock style from Jody’s vocals. If the review seems a little askew, it is because this disc achieves the impossible; the most disparate music coupled alongside a cohesion virtually unknown in this era of the track-oriented album. Instead of front-loading all of the stronger tracks, Jody’s decision with this album is to allow the disc to climax at its end; listeners may have to invest forty minutes of their time into this disc, but the returns are definitely worth it. Finishing off the disc with something that sounds eerily similar to The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony”, Supercreep’s “In The Dust” shows off a maturity in composition with the impressive mixture of organic (the acoustic guitar) and the inorganic (synthesizers). The range in style and form that Jody brings to this disc will ensure that a wide cross-section of fans will pop up just as soon as this album is released.

Top Tracks: The Haze, Stereo

Rating: 6.8/10

Supercreep – S/T / 2005 Pat’s Record Co / 12 Tracks / http://www.myspace.com/supercreep / http://www.patsrecordsco.com / Reviewed 14 August 2005

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