Throneberry
Squinting Before the Dazzle (Alias)
by Jamie Kiffel
There is some interesting poetry in here; it is unfortunate that it is muddled within a stringy mixture of long, Southern Gothic-(or backwoods garage)-flavored tunes, delivered too slowly to pick up a catchy melody within the bunch. Singers Jason Arbenz and Sam Womelsdorf share the spotlight; Arbenz’s cigarette-grumbly, highly limited range make his delivery less listenable than Womelsdorf’s easily bendable tenor. Arbenz’s main trouble is that he sings too low in his range to be heard. Interesting tracks include “Guerrilla Skies,” in which “a smokescreen serpent flies in vague disguise,” and “Isn’t It a Pity,” where conversation about fixing some machinery provides thought-worthy poetical fodder. This is the sort of band that would open for a retro-hippie show, edging into the Pink Floyd Technicolor void, but just missing the headful of blitzed-out revelation needed to spur spark-in-the-dark-eyed insploration.
(2815 W. Olive Ave., Burbank, CA 91505)