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By SHARON JENNINGS
For listeners who like punk and alternative fuzz, Drowning Effect has released a self-titled debut album that includes a little taste of it all.
On this fun new 10-track collection released via the Vibraphone label, band members James Spadaro, Thad Baker and Mark Loftin go for the gold and don’t fall too far short. The album is a terrific accomplishment and incorporates a range of sounds that are experimental and raw in style. Perhaps there’s something in the San Francisco water that breeds all these good bands.
There are several noteworthy tracks on the Drowning Effect. The full-length release starts out roaring with the track “Reasons,” which has a driving bass that leads the listener down a path of no resistance. There’s no “reason” to resist this song as it has a familiar and yet foreign quality.
Drowning Effect:
Drowning Effect Takes a 21st Century Turn
Our favorites on this album are “Electric Eyes,” which is a dreamy fuzz tune that captures the imagination and “I Cant Change,” a track that updates a spaghetti surf style and giving the sound a modern spin. We’re typically not fond of cover songs, but The Stooges cover of “I Wanna Be Your Dog” pays homage to a classic but brings the song into the 21st Century.
Drowning Effect was formed in San Francisco only a year ago and to even bang out an album in the first year you’re together shows these guys are aiming for something interesting.
Credits: Gabriel Shepard (Oakland) mixed; Mike Wells (Los Angeles) mastered. Tracks: 1) The Reason (3:41); 2) Holiday (2:56); 3) Electric Eyes (4:36); 4) Howl (4:36); 5) I Can`t Change (3:05); 6) Guided By Voices (4:35); 7) Unstoppable (3:31); 8) Already Sold (4:21); 9) Hold Out (3:07); 10) I Wanna Be Your Dog (stooges cover) (3:27)
Check out the band’s Facebook page
