Melancholy, deliberate-sounding rock is making headway as artistsbecome less concerned with the trickery or nuances of the genre andmore concerned about the substance at all costs. Most try to find theirniche, which establishes them while limiting them as they run out ofsteam on future releases. Athens, GA-based Clairvoyants show no signsof this behavior, making a solid debut on "Your New Boundaries" ofminimal, haunting rock music by Brian Dunn. Most songs start with asolo guitar line, add instruments, then settle into their pocket, thenDunn sings. And he sings of loss, ghosts, memories, and Japanese paperactors. Not new subjects, nor really a new way of coveying them, but itmatters little as the record is a solid piece of work throughout. Thequotable lyric is the first on the record ('That city fucked youup/like everybody does/it does to everyone' on 'To Reassure'), butelsewhere, Dunn's affectations sound very British. His voice is low intone and delivery, but occasionally it soars in his range, showing acontrol and beauty few possess. The band is tightly wound around Dunn,producing sounds and effects that serve these songs with absolutededication. On 'Yes, I Waited a Year...', the band waits an eternitybefore entering, but when they do there are subtle strings, and asimple trumpet line that make it the slow dance song of the year. Andon 'The Hungry Ghosts' the music is almost playful, inviting. There areeven an untitled bonus track, for those who wanted more after the titletrack finally ends. It's a soothing, capable release that doesn'tinduce hibernation. And that, in itself, is quite an accomplishment formusic this mellow and concentrated.
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