Silent '88

by David SerraSilent '88 is a guitar pop/rock record with atmospherics. Throughout the record, Hood combines electronics with acoustic instruments. They take their cues from many, sounding like various bands from Pavement to the Fall to Sonic Youth to the Flaming Lips. Passionate vocals seem to work in the setting of the short, distorted, guitar-based songs. "Rural Colours" adopts a wonderful use of cello and violin that follows the vocal melody, ringing much more pure than the human voice on this track. However, there are not that many surprises. Hood uses the same formula throughout the record: songs are quiet at the beginning, then rock out hard in the end with beautiful atmospherics and ambient music in between tracks. The best songs are the snippets -- beautiful paintings of sound that create depths and passing horizons. Hood should mold those pieces into full songs. Songs fade in and out, questioning if they are songs at all. The sounds are great, but a confidence is lacking behind the fade, leaving the record to fall a bit short.