Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Reading Rainbow 'Prism Eyes'


Philadelphia's boy girl duo brought in the New Year with a show in New York celebrating the release of new album 'Prism Eyes'. Following a slew of singles over the last year or so on Chimney Sweep, Zoo Music and Ciseaux it was their debut 'Mystical Participation' and a show at SXSW that made HoZac Reading Rainbow's number one fan, and home.

Reading Rainbow sound like they could have been Slumberland fiends in their formative years and sure, words like 'jangly' 'pop' and 'indie' seem unavoidable at the moment. That said, it would be a real shame to let this band pass you by simply because these adjectives are currently circulating so heavily. What Reading Rainbow bring to the table that makes them stand out is a curious balance of sugary and scuzzy music. The two part vocal harmonies range from unaffected tones not unlike English post punk to infectious angelic pop. These singing parts soar over fuzzed out keyboards, consistent tapping and crashing rhythms with glittery, grinding guitar hooks. The surprising thing is, I would never have guessed this was only a two piece given how rich the songs sound. This record is harmoniously sweet and sour. 'Prism Eyes' proves there are still some bands out there with some tricks up their sleeves for you.

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