Album Review :
Alexander the Great - Circumnavigation EP
By Eric Pettersson in Reviews | Comments closed
Artist: Alexander the Great
Album: Circumnavigation EP
Label: Crossroads of America Records
Release Date: March 25, 2008
Review by: Eric Pettersson
Tracklist:
1. Confidence
2. When to Suspect the Worst
3. Thanksgiving
4. Down the Hatch
5. NYC
*Bonus Tracks Live/Acoustic*
6. We Used to Go Out
7. Let’s Go Out into the Night (Confidence)
8. Give Thanks (Thanksgiving)
9. Silver Bullet Train (NYC)
Just one look at the awesome artwork, and I’m ready for some indie rock. Not indie rock in the sense of The Fray and Coldplay and the like who are all very good bands indeed but not really deserving of the title indie. I’m talking legit indie rock, along the lines of Colour Revolt or more recent mewithoutYou. And hitting the play button does not fail to deliver. I’m surprised by the lack of post-harcore influence found in the sort of band listed above, but I won’t count that against Alexander the Great, because they certainly know what they’re doing without it. Big climbing drum beats get you ready to travel the country (or at least stomp your feet), while jangly guitars and tinkling extra sounds weave the musical feel through the obvious influences of Sunny Day Real Estate, Twothirtyeight, and Anathallo. At times I can even pull out a little bit of Bright Eyes, The Shins, or Death Cab, maybe even some Sufjan Stevens at one point, but these influences are not as strong. The production is a bit weak, especially with the vocals, but the songs are still well-written and definitely enjoyable. It’s a down-to-earth sound that lets you know this is DIY indie rock that doesn’t forget about its humble origins.
7/10
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