The story really begins back in 2003 with three curious minds, some gear, a space, and a dedication to sonic exploration. Singer/guitarist DL Tashjian, keyboardist Jared O’Connell, and lead guitarist/noiseman Garret Ienner spent almost a year poking around their modest studio with various other likeminded souls, recording what would eventually become The Memory Loss E.P., a sprawling, romantic testament to the bands classic influences : Ride, Spiritualized, …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. After relocating to the grey buildings of New York City, playing endless amounts of shows and scouring the scene for a permanent rhythm section – finding drummer Louie Glaser initially, and eventually hooking up with new bassist John Carnes through mutual friends – the group entered the studio. For eight months.

And now we have R.E.S.T., a record of growth, focus, and simultaneous grandiosity. The music echoes of dreamy idealism and youthful lust, blasting along in an orgiastic fire of Rhodes-driven excess and feedback heavy guitar squalls (“Pretty Mess”). From the stark depictions of the lonesome detached situations in their lyrics (“Count Me Out”) to the crashing fervor and squalor of their choruses (“And So It Begins”), the New York five piece are out to rethink expectations in sound and song alike, all the while grounding their melodies in classic pop influences (“Kitchen Floor”). R.E.S.T., takes the ecstatic and sprawling soundscapes of their previous work and strengthens their impact with a tighter rhythm section and more focused production, courtesy of veteran R&B hitmakers Rob Kinelski and Jim Caruana.

This is the kind of record that starts a band’s career, buzzing with the energy of open-eyed youth and ambition with no end in sight. A Brief Smile, I think not :)