Customer Reviews

Under And In

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In the upper echelon of independent noise pop there exists an unassailable group of artists whose albums have essentially paved the way for any and all future experimentation within a pop/rock format. By exploding the typical guitar rock structure with a cataclysm of prepared guitar and computer enhancements, bands like My Bloody Valentine, Lush, and Swervedriver found a means of juxtaposing avant-garde rock with minimalist drone. Finding themselves mislabeled as "shoegazers," these musicians melded the most salient elements of both genres-- a concatenation of tape motifs and the natural timbre of acoustic instruments-- with mesmerizing results. While contemporary acts like Sigur Rós and Mogwai have co-opted an ethereal framework (the latter even for a Levi's commercial), these shards of a hypnotic landscape have never quite captured the emotive might of its antecedents.

Enter Glifted, a two-piece out of Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, composed of former Hum guitarist Tim Lash and former Lovecup bassist T.J. Harrison. While Lash was relegated primarily to a background figure in Hum, providing skilled guitar ambience and blistering leads behind singer/guitarist/übermensch Matt Talbott, Glifted's Under and In not only establishes Lash's creative brilliance, but kicks the dust off a genre that had lay dormant since Loveless. Indeed, Under and In is so teemed with technical fluency and power that it essentially modernizes and revitalizes the entire shoegazer sensibility.

With experimental rock/minimalism stalled under the weight of over-production, theatrical missteps, and lyrical gibberish, Glifted's debut offering manages to inject some excitement into a genre that's found itself on auto-pilot for most of the past decade. Instead of attempting the standard dreamy space-rock aesthetic of comparable modern day acts, Lash and Harrison move in a wholly unique direction. Utilizing a pointedly more minimalist approach to song composition, grouping ample numbers of segmented tape loops a la Terry Riley with a wall of guitar (and effects processors) in tight precision; Under and In sounds like an epiphany.

Beginning with the Steve Reich-influenced vocal drone of "Is There Any Always", Glifted weaves a creative patchwork of limitless textures and hypnoses built upon an otherwise tenuous foundation of noise and sonic abstraction. With Lash's incoherent vocals sounding like George Harrison on Thorazine, a staccato guitar riff swirls on at perpetuity as Tubeway Army keyboards work their way up the listener's spinal column and into his cortex. T.J. Harrison's searing basslines complement the brutal beat-- the audience is caressed by Lash's ambient drone while simultaneously battered by ferocious percussion.

On "Baby's Blue", Glifted presents an obvious homage to the likes of Can and Cluster, annealing Harrison's grooving bass with a synthetic wash of ride cymbals, jazzy guitar, and digital manipulation. "Baby's Blue" evolves slowly and subtly from a repetitive funk drum pattern, gradually expanding its orchestration before culminating in a flare of synthesizer that nearly drowns the accompanying rhythm. With the Moog finally on the verge of engulfing the song, "Baby's Blue" promptly fades out and leads into "Heavy Ion", a sub-two-minute instrumental built on a heavily distorted version of the very same bassline. The pairing of these two tracks illustrates Glifted's ability to flesh out thematics by cycling them rapidly through numerous incarnations and styles, one of their strongest attributes.

Under and In is an album devoid of wasted notes, self-indulgence, and contrived atmosphere. Every hallucinogenic element seems to flow unconsciously from the ether, titillate, and vanish without a trace. "Every Single Second" bears a distinct resemblance to material from Hum's final album, Downward Is Heavenward, but where the 1998 release often stumbled from protracted noodling, "Every Single Second" is a concise statement adding The Byrds' psych-rock haze to a sparse Matt Talbott riff.

"Last in Line" also recalls Lash's work with Hum, but adds levels of subsonic depth and impressionistic harmonic tendencies invisible in the Hum catalog. "The Ground" is a throbbing mass of impending hysteria-- a nightmarish maelstrom of seething pink noise, super-colliding vocals and guitars, granulation and reverb. At once beautiful and horrific, "The Ground" is both a howling ode to the innovation of Kevin Shields, and a shrieking reproval of his limitations.

Parallels will inevitably be drawn between Glifted and Matt Talbott's new band Centaur, who also released their debut album in late 2002. It must be noted, however, that the only case for comparison is the band that put them both on the map. Artistically and dynamically, Talbott and Tim Lash have moved in entirely different directions with ostensibly different objectives. Centaur's In Streams is an excellent rock album demonstrating Talbott's talents as a songwriter, but it suggests no real upward mobility. Tim Lash's Under and In exhibits an understanding of musical plasticity that eludes the former Hum frontman. In taking the anachronism of "shoegazing" and fusing it with the ambient plurality of people like Ekkehard Ehlers and Rafael Toral, Glifted have unveiled one of the most compelling noise-pop records I've ever encountered.

-Isaiah Violante, January 27th, 2003

Every once in a while an album comes along that makes your jaw drop in absolute astonishment the whole way through. Under And In is rooted in early-90s shoegaze and takes cues from My Bloody Valentine, Ride and others, but it sparkles with so much life and effervescence that it's practically timeless. Each song's dense guitar is wrapped in a shimmering coat of feedback, which could easily put someone in a relaxed lull if what lay beneath it weren't so demanding of our attention.

Glifted mastermind Tim Lash is best known as the guitarist for the space-rock outfit Hum, and without Matt Talbot at the steering wheel, the drones are vaulted to the forefront of the music and the songs are less assuming. "The Scare" and "Baby's Blue" rely on a syncopated rhythm while actually managing to sound catchy. (The latter could probably even be whistled.) Repetition has rarely been this exhilarating in rock music; the singers' breathy sleeptalk of "What to do, what to do, what to do..." in "Last in Line" and the whole of the instrumental "Red Lift" are as entrancing as a hypnotist's swinging watch. The closer, "Dromoscope," is lovely, as the drone-heavy guitar oscillates and dreamy, harmonized vocals float in and out of the mix. The songs are complex, deliberate, elevated and visceral all at once. The combination is as brilliant as it is just plain beautiful.

If Under And In consisted only of dreamily heavy guitar feedback (a criticism leveled at the shoegazer genre before) it would have been a whole lot of insubstantial effects-wankery, but thankfully the album's eleven pieces contain very strong foundations. In an age when experimental rock music has gotten a little more experimental than rock, it's fresh knowing these songs can genuinely hold their own. The depth of Glifted's vision makes Under And In soothing, intense, and endlessly listenable. Forget dream pop; this is dream rock, just the way we love it.

This record is simply amazing. The same warm wash of guitar you find in My Bloody Valentine is found here, but these guys are doing something other than just shoegazing. The music is looped based, often hypnotic, but not at all sleepy. Gorgeous, lush, thought provoking music. Both groovy and tough. I highly recomend

Background: I am an MBV fan, but I believe this album stands on its own. I really like some Hum songs quite a bit ("Iron Clad Lou," "Isle of the Cheetah," "I'd Like Your Hair Long," "Comin' Home") but I ADORE every precious moment of this record. It is also reminiscent of the disorienting melodicism and controlled chaos of 90s shoe-jersey band, All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavors or the steamroller majesty of the Medicine song "Heads" - but again, very much it's own sort of experience. Oh yeah, it also reminds one of Main and maybe some of the Spectrum stuff. alright - enough background!

Facts of The Case: If you like droney, blissed-out, trance inducing, gargantuanly heavy head music - that's really its own incomprehensible drug, you can do no wrong picking this up.

In a very signature way Under and In builds on MBV's greatness, rather than simply aping it.

This is by no means a straight-up rock record. Some of the reviewers on this page would obviously prefer the other Hum alumni (Halumni?) project, Centaur.

This is cool - i wouldn't classify it as electronica but it fits that sort of mood the way they loop the drums and guitars over and over again. Its got an industrial feel to it but with more depth and warmth to the sound. the vocals are soft and eerie and pretty much indecipherable to me. its a good CD to put on repeat and let it play continuously. though the guitars are heavy, it is easy to fall asleep to. its a kind of meditation CD, trance-inducing, no real hooks or structure - sounds very experimental and fresh, which i like. check it out if you're open minded and like hearing new sounds. I'm a big fan of HUM so that is of course why I bought it. I knew there was some originality and talent behind it.

I'm not quite sure how to articulate my feelings about this album. I'm a veteran of the indie rock scene but sort of a neophyte when it comes to electronic music, so i would best describe the sound of this cd as Hum reworked by Aphex Twin. In order to appreciate this album you have to listen with a different ear than you would your typical verse chorus verse indie rock recording. If nothing else, Under & In sounds new, fresh, and exciting. I can't say I've heard anything quite like it, but the casual listener may be put off by the loop based music and unwilling to fully absorb the wash of processed guitars and drums that comprise this album. If you like the electronic touch of artists like Skinny Puppy, Squarepusher, and maybe even Moby's more ambient moments, and enjoy the off-center, layered, space rock guitar attack of bands like the Smashing Pumpkins, Hum, and Sonic Youth then there is a good chance you'll like or even love this album. If looking for a recreation of Hum, check out Matt Talbot's (ex Hum frontman/guitarist) band Centaur, and think twice before adding Under & In to your collection

I really wanted to like this album. I love Hum and MBV and other shoegazers, and the way other reviewers described this band sounded amazing. However, I just can't get into it. It sounds like home-made remixes of Hum songs. Its true they capture some of that Kevin Sheilds' awesomeness, but they miss what Sheilds is truly a genius at - keeping the distortion from overwhelming things and hurting your ears. EVERYTHING on this CD is distorted, from drums to vocals. There is a strong hiss that reminds me more of 'you made me realize' than anything on loveless. Plus, most songs seem to just be repeating loops of a small squealy guitar riff, set over drums that don't match up with it, and echoing vocals that scatter all over on top of it.

The softer tracks on the album like 'Baby's blue' and 'Every single second' are nice Hum-like jams, with interesting vocals and a few more ambient, formless tracks are kind of interesting. But the majority of the songs stick to the aformentioned formula which just hurts my ears. Its interesting but ultimately very claustrophobic and chaotic. I like experimentation, but i just won't be listening to this album in its entirety due to the hiss and fuzz.

I love this album-- it is astounding. I think the draw of it is the sonic atmosphere created by Glifted. I really can't get enough of it and it's now one of my favorite albums. Highly recommended. It reminded me of the best shoegaze.

This CD is awesome, but I'm also angry. This is being passed off as full-length, but the official "songs" only amount to about a half hour. I would like to see if this band could put out a longer album and still succeed. On second thought, maybe their stylistic concept works best at this length and shouldn't be tampered with.
I would say that Red Lift is repetitive, rather than minimalistic. It could have benefited from some vocals. Still, it functions as a pleasant break between the dissonance of The Ground and Dromoscope.

For those familiar with Hum, these songs remind me of that last section of Dreamboat before the song fades out. If you like that, you will like this.

I can't give Under and In 5 stars because I sense a gimmick. It is not tied with my favorites.

What in the hell happened to Tim Lash? This album is more than inexcusable, it's unforgiveable. Repetetive torture that could be used as a primer for suspected terrorists to inflict numbing pain prior to them being waterboarded. This isn't even remotely Hum. It's dysfunctional gibberish. I really would like my money back but I bought this album used, unfortunately. One of the WORST albums I've ever wasted my time and money on. For shame, Hum fans, don't even touch this. Good god, it's gobbligook. A tangled mess of repetitive stupidity.