Of all the New York bands that have been swept up by the straggling wisps of this hegemonic cultural zeitgeist, Longwave seem the most like the geeky college kid on work placement. Normal, boggle-eyed, earnest, eager and endearingly incompatible with their surroundings. That’s not to say that their end product is riddled with gaping holes (though they may well have taken twice as long and enjoyed a higher coffee-break/work ratio), but that where the accepted benchmark-makers of the movement propagate, drink and snort ‘heritage’ daily, Longwave simply gather up their shockingly recent record collection, funnel through an effects rack and hang out to dry as pop songs. How frighteningly cute. And barely a credibility filter or charity-shop v-neck in sight.
What they ended up with – by accident perhaps, more likely through studious attention to detail – is a surging clutch of blissed out sounds strung together in classic arrangements, with ‘c’mon, just sing me back whydontcha’ stitched across their t-shirts. Simple as that. Dave Fridmann’s production comes through as the probable hero, most tracks bundled with a tidal wave covering everything in a clean wash of distortion discoloured by flecks of impurity. ‘Pool Song’, despite being the most closely kinned with The Strokes’ recognisable taut pop brand, shows off their form with the best clarity – tight beat, twinkling picks, sharp washing chords and a dirty guitar break with a gleam spreading like infected spores over the meticulously arranged foundation.
To their hometown they can claim a comparison or two, the aforementioned Strokes and an almost Placebo-esque take on Sonic Youth’s patented overdrive. There’s a hint of Guided By Voices in the immediate flavour, not that it hangs around. It’s a bigger sound that wants to take over, assorted U2 basslines abound and the general tone follows suit on occasion, ‘Wake Me When It’s Over’, ‘Tidal Wave’ and ‘Everywhere You Turn’ especially. Then there’s the ‘OK Computer’ evoking squiggles and ambience on ‘Meet Me At The Bottom’, ‘Exit’ and ‘Day Sleeper’. But anytime they might be heading for a large arena well of sound that GBV indie-fringe aftertaste returns, keeping them nicely contained. The general consensus may not put them top of the class but that doesn’t stop this being a great little album. .