In re-releasing the Washington, DC band's single full-length effort,Polyvinyl brings back a morsel of guitar-laden goodness that's stilltasty 10 years later. I for one am damn glad they did.Polyvinyl
Corm swings back and forth between punkish churning guitars overlaidwith shouted vocals and contemplative instrumentals. This album isguitar rock through and through, but the contrast between muscular("Architecture") and chiming, shimmery guitars ("Then I Built My Own Violin") and the band's crypticlyrics keeps the music teetering on the far side of predictable. Theymanage to capture attitude and anger along with a terse kind of beautythat reminds me of one-time college radio darlings the Toadies. As withthat band, Corm's rough-edged sound adds to the music rather thanmaking it feel unfinished.
Though their influences seem to be many—I hear echoes of Soundgarden,Alice in Chains, and maybe the Offspring, among others—but they put it alltogether in their own way and forge their own sound.
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