The Cloud Room – The Cloud Room
The Cloud Room have been plugging along for several years now in various lineups. Shoring up a definitive unit (Benjamin Nugent, Jason Pharr, Jon Petrow, and J), they recorded a demo and got some heavy buzz around them. Their somewhat ubiquitous single, “Hey now now” caught on with college radio and has garnered this New York quartet some considerable press. Striking while the iron is hot, The Cloud Room release their self-titled debut, a danceable collection of indie pop tunes that moves away from the trendy genre’s that are dominating the underground.
Like local cohorts (and critical darlings) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, words like post-punk or angular don’t apply to The Cloud Room. Words that do apply however is intelligent, raucous, and addictive. The album begins with the aforementioned “Hey now now,” always a risky endeavor for a band only known for one song. There is no denying, however, that it is a great first impression. A simple guitar line that slowly builds over an escalating rhythm, J‘s lyrical structure makes the song even more irresistible. The next track, “Waterfall,” assuages any fears of a one trick pony. Incorporating the same song structure as the previous song (simple yet compelling guitar backed by an impressive ), “Waterfall” is much more subdued at first only to achieve an emotional climax that is one of the standout moments on the album.
Positives:
There aren’t many new bands emerging that can wear so many hats.
Negatives:
The album has a couple of filler tracks, which prevent it from being played from start to finish and receive a higher rating. Other than that, the album is great.
Cross-Breed:
Imagine ’70s Bowie singing over tracks he recorded in the ’80s and you get a pretty good idea.
Reason to Buy
As I said earlier, aside from one or two clunkers, this album is a very enjoyable listen percolating with limitless potential from some very accomplished upstarts.
