Record Label: S/R
Genre: Synth Pop
Band Link: www.myspace.com/wherethelandmeetsthesea
Buy on Amazon.com

Don’t these guys have any friends, relatives, or well-wishers to sit them down and say, “Look, we love you. Please don’t be offended. But your name… dear God, your horrible, horrible name…” So awful. They should just call themselves “The Shoreline” and save some ink.

It’s too bad that their name might turn people away, because the band is actually pretty good. The press release gets this right: “[Their] sound is a new breed of unapologetic rock infused by spacey synths, kinetic guitar riffs, a pulsing rhythm section, and an absolutely infectious dual vocal attack.”

Well, the vocals are okay (the female vox are nice but too clean), and the music has a second-tier 90s alternative feel to it, but the overall album is poppy and appealing. And I love the synths – they have that early-80s Rush synth sound. On a couple of the tracks, the synths are reminiscent of Rush’s ethereal “Jacob’s Ladder.” On “Learn to Swim,” they sound just like the keys on “Countdown.” Awesome.

“All Is Soft” and “Troubled Sleep” are downtempo, a little indulgent, and, well, soft and sleepy, but even so, they’re not bad. My only complaint (besides the horrible, horrible name) is that I’d prefer they injected the 80s synth elements into a style other than 90s alternative.

Bottom Line: As the Polysics would say, moog is love.
Notable Tracks: Title Bout, Tiny Maps
Overall Rating: