Graboids Infinite Delay CD

The back cover of this debut by the Charlottesville, VA based experimental ambient rock quartet is a church sign reading, "What You Do Today Echoes In Eternity." With that in mind, they pave a road to a blistering, guitar-driven heaven, with cool Pink Floyd/Tangerine Dream-ish textures that seem to promote mind and soul expansion. They launch their seduction on the senses with the pure space track "Panda Cam, Pt. 1" before actually offering some melody and rhythmic movement on the jangly, soulful "Weapons of Mass Distraction." "Coma Bear" brings the cool to a halt -- the title says it all, but humans might be put out too, unfortunately. The heart and soul of Graboids' trip-rock vibe is the 11-minute "Looming on the Horizon//Bovine Bliss" which takes everyone out of their coma for multi-movement odyssey driven by Andrew Glover's sometimes languid, sometimes screeching guitar. The dreamy "Tremolo" is the easiest song to ponder along to, so that may explain its popularity on the band's myspace site. The collection is definitely out there, falling somewhere in between ambient new age and art rock. It may not be the most likeable thing you've ever heard but it certainly grabs your attention, just as the name of the band suggests. ~ Jonathan Widran

Graboids: Andrew Glover, Matthew Watson, Jim Hale, Stuart Watson.