Play 90 second soundbite of 'Accordion' @ 'CD quality'
Once I overcame the shock and got down to listening to 'Vita' I quickly found myself tappin' out the beats and nodding away at the melodies. Nice stuff - somewhat different to most of their contemporaries and all the better for it. At The Spine have found a signature style and sound that sets them apart from the norm; they rock away with what almost feels like slightly subdued effort but that laid-back thing that's goin' on only deflects their inner strength as At The Spine remain a powerhouse outfit blasting out intelligent pop-rock to great effect.
I like the way At The Spine keep a lid on things here; they never quite explode into space, rather content to carefully build and burn, build and burn, never quite reaching climax but somehow holding back - the anticipation is breathtaking - all that almost without breaking into a sweat. Like cadence and cascade, At The Spine push and push then dwell and fade - it's really quite stimulating and bloody good on the ear!
At The Spine go about their business with stunning control and great professionalism; 'Vita' is a real grower of a work - listen once and something'll pull you back, listen again and you'll start hearing things afresh and with 'new' ears. 'Vita' is a gentle, flowing rocker of a work that sneaks up on you when you least expect it to. At The Spine demonstrate great instrumental authority and deft touch. The songs are evocative and pretty dreamy but there's always that sudden swell that takes you higher before once more dropping you, softly cosseted, back to reality and At The spine normality. This is a really interesting and pretty damn fine album - it doesn't come straight out to you, you have to become part of the thing, you have to almost participate, join in with the whole organic growth and nurturing process. Very different this, very entertaining and extremely rewarding. 'Vita' by At The Spine stands alone and proud within the general indie rock movement - it's a stonkin' good outing and one that I'll be re-visiting regularly to see what else I can find within its guarded interior. Excellent!!
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