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Friday, 28 March 2008 07:42

It’s a perfect starry-night drive record.

Sometimes you immediately attach yourself to a record and get immersed in it. This was that kind of record for me. PacificUV truly have a gem in Longplay 2. The beauty of PacificUV is how they are able to construct a mood. Most of the songs are instrumental and the few vocals that do accompany tracks only add to build the dramatic mood being set. It’s a perfect starry-night drive record. 

PacificUV starts the record off with “Alarmist,” which sounds like the overture of a symphony. It warms you up to the ride that you are about to take over the course of the record. The track even layers in violin and cello to create a deeper, richer sound.

 

The next track, “Need,” is the first with vocals which haunt the background of distorted guitar riffs and crashing cymbals. The repetition in the lyrics add to the mood of spinning out of control and you find yourself feeling more involved in the mood than before.  Once you have made it to the third track, “Tremolo,” you feel emotionally spent. This is when the band throws something different at you to ease the tension: soft female vocals. They bring a soothing element to the mix and help relax the tension building.  The next few tracks continue to build on this feeling of reflection and contemplation. Then you hit  “Orson” which is the longest track on the record, spanning just over ten minutes. This is the real test to see if the band can keep you wrapped up in their sound during the entire song, but with the many layers and keys to keep you in their dream-like state, it’s easy to keep listening.  “Ljiv” is the last track on the record and as the first track brought you in, this track takes you out.  It once again highlights a cello and violin to accompany the sound. It even has a slight piano in the back to enrich the mood even more: the perfect way to end the record.  In many ways I enjoyed Longplay 2 by PacificUV. It’s a good record to unwind to, or just to take a drive to. “Need” is the most powerful track on the record and if you were only going to try out one song try it. Then, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be hooked.  A|Josh Schobert  RIYL: Explosions in the Sky, My Bloody Valentine, Spacemen 3