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Written by Sheila Shahpari Wednesday, 11 June 2008 13:55

The sound tends toward dissonant, distorted guitar overlaid with eerily consonant vocal harmonies.

Retribution Gospel Choir, a band based out of Minnesota, consists of Eric Pollard on drums, Steve Garrington on bass and Alan Sparhawk on guitar and vocals. You may recognize Sparhawk's name if you are a fan of the indie rock group Low, which Sparhawk also fronts. There are a number of similarities between Low and Retribution Gospel Choir: both share slow tempos, minor melodies, and striking harmonies. There is more of a grunge vibe within RGC than you hear in Low. The sound tends toward dissonant, distorted guitar overlaid with eerily consonant vocal harmonies. Their self-titled debut is a shining example of how side projects can often turn into major successes.

This is an album that gets better every time you listen. In an age of high production and overdubbing, it's very refreshing to hear RGC's minimalist instrumentation performed so well. The compositional quality of these tunes is excellent, each one having enough hooks to keep you singing these tunes for weeks to come. While the album's simplistic sounds could be confused as monotonous, these intriguing melodies definitely rise above your typical repetitive grunge-rock.

These guys are entirely in sync with one another, an excellent combination of highly skilled musicians who have perfected their craft. And if you get a chance to see the band live, you're in for a treat. The great thing about minimal instrumentation is that an exact replica can be produced live—and that's exactly what they did.

This album is definitely one to add to your collection if you like a little melancholy music every once in a while. A | Sheila Shahpari