Redeeming The Uneven City Center

City Center caught my attention last year with their Record Store affiliated EP that in its vinyl edition was one of the sexiest pieces of wax Ive ever witnessed. They have released a longplayer, Redeemer (on K Records), and it's a good if uneven followup. Although much of the same aesthetics that have garnered City Center their murmurous reputation - massive efforts with DIY audacity, digital antics and unorthodox licks of psychedelic whimsy - the result here is more of a severely swinging pendulum, which swings from meticulously created extreme to the other. This give equal amounts of adulation and frustration, for it really sounds as if two albums have been crafted here, cut in half and glued together again. The first half is more dynamic, pop-driven rock, with 'Poppers', 'Cookies' and 'Modern Love' all sinking their urgent hooks in deep. Yet the ambient side of the group is left for the latter part of the record rather than being interspersed throughout, leaving the whole thing feeling top loaded to the point of distraction.

That said, they are a quality act, and most of these tracks are quality on their own. I still suggest you give Redeemer a go - it may surprise you.

City Center - Cookies
City Center - Modern Love

City Centre slickness

Record Store Day is a great initiative. Although its the worst day ever when you have no conceivable way of celebrating it, then afterwards your 'mates' who could go shove their brilliant purchases in your face. One of the few things the volcanic cloud fiasco has afforded me is a delayed reaction to my pain and anguish, as Paul awaits with bated breath to show me HIS purchases. But Im not totally averse from it, as the above pic shows. My friend Dan picked up a few things, including this uber sexy piece of vinyl by NYC's City Centre. Mmm - tasty.

Here's a clip of their track Cops Don't Care, recorded only last week! Radtastic!