Gaadge - Somewhere Down Below

 

This is a wonderful album! Most times that I've seen it mentioned, it has been noted as Shoegaze and Somewhere Down Below is much more than that. There is some Shoegaze, but that is in the minority, this more an album that covers the full scope of Indie Rock and much more.

The Pittsburgh quartet journey through everything from Pop Rock to Noise Rock. They are equally at home with angular New Wave as straight ahead Indie Rock. Yet there are big hints of Psych and lesser dashes of Prog as well as sprinklings of both Grunge and Slacker Rock. 

The majority of the album consists of sub two minute songs. This could indicate that these are unfinished affairs and that would be wrong. This is very much say what you want to say and then get off and this really works.

It allows you to appreciate the longer songs which again contain no filler. It also allows you to hear the full range of the band without extended Guitar solos or riffs. It would have been easy to extend these songs, but why would you?

Amongst the hypnotic riffs and unexpected directions, there is also more commercial directions as well as some wonderful Guitar explosions. Normally, I would embed three songs to give you a flavour of an album, but that would tell you nothing about the variety on show here.

Indeed, I am experimenting with reviews this weekend. There will be no embeds in the hope that you yourself will visit the album and draw your own conclusions. If this is not to followers' liking or they prefer the three song embeds, I will return to that from Monday.

You can listen to and buy the album here.

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