City Light - Down the Pacific

City Light
Down the Pacific
Burning Building Recordings
Grade: A-

Initially devised by Seattle-based Matthew Shaw and then developed further by Nick Andre, Andy Fitts, and the well-known indie maestro Denver Dally (Desaparecidos and Statistics), Down the Pacific is an album that will knock you on your ass without you truly realizing. Shaw and Co. go for the mid-tempo, busy high guitar riffs, light scratchy vocals, and slight ethereal feel that you would get from a Her Spacey Holiday or even Statistics. Lacking any true home runs, but also mostly devoid of items for the heap pile (though “City Scape” is a candidate), Down the Pacific provides solace on opener “Waiting,” the excellent “Let’s Not Speak,” the riff-heavy and group-vocal happy “Hour on the Floor,” and the more lo-fi closer “Night Train.” Depending on how much time these guys can give this side project, City Light might evolve into something truly fantastic.