A Story in White

Album review

Glasgow guitar rock force Aereogramme are a surprisingly pleasing and interesting act whose supernatural dynamic techniques level most of their competition. Drifting out of thick sonic wanderings and spacy keyboard sounds into heavily distorted and explosive crescendos, the group is at times as powerful as the emotionally expansive early days of Sunny Day Real Estate. They also prove their varied skills with equally engaging quiet numbers where solid songwriting takes precedence and doesn't try too hard to floor the listener with volume. Both facets of Aereogramme deserve mention, but it is the bursting chaos of tracks like "Post-Tour, Pre-Judgment" and "Zionist Timing" that make a solid enough impression to justify delving into the rest of the rewarding disc. Led by former Ganger frontman Craig B, whose falsetto highs are as powerful as his searing screams, the band somehow manages to exist comfortably in the two worlds at the same time, resulting in a record that avoids becoming complacent through its sheer variety of songwriting. Some tracks do walk the line and lapse into the uncomfortable emotional soft rock realm of group's like Mineral, but when Aereogramme stick with either a violent assault or their beautiful lo-fi acoustic sentiments, they create some real worthwhile moments on A Story in White.
© Peter J. D'Angelo /TiVo