Those hearing for the first time who only know the band's other material will likely be more than a little surprised. Whereas the typical vision of is of beautiful washes of sounds and exultant vocals from , on the trio is still only part of the way there. Instead, the best comparison points are to on and , perhaps -era , a touch of here and there -- in sum, deep, heavy mood verging on doom and gloom. Bassist , in the only full album he did with , clearly follows the / style of low, ominous throb, while 's guitar work more often than not screeches loudly than shimmers. 's singing has a starker edge, unsettling even at its most accessible, sometimes completely disturbing at other times. The strongest track, has the trio creating a powerful but also surprisingly danceable track, the crisp drumbox beat working against 's compelling atmospherics and 's vocal hook in the chorus. Beyond that and a couple of other moments, though, falters due to something the band generally avoided in the future -- overt repetition. Too many of the songs rely on a unified formula that rarely changes; one need only compare to the multiplicity of styles tried on to see the difference. As a debut effort, though, makes its own curious mark, preparing the band for greater heights. ~ Ned Raggett