Pompeii

Assembly (Eyeball)
by Chad Bowar

Just by looking at the lineup you can tell the Austin, Texas band Pompeii is a little out of the ordinary. Very few indie rock bands have cellists as full-fledged members. That’s just one of the many unique things about this debut. From start to finish, Assembly is filled with pop gems. The songs have a generally melancholy vibe, but the emotions range from cold and detached to vulnerable and yearning. The haunting sound of Caitlin Bailey’s cello also adds a lot of atmosphere and texture to the music. They sound better on the mid-tempo and fast songs, because they tend to lose momentum on the ballads. Pompeii has a wide variety of musical influences. The guitar on some songs has that shimmering, early U2 sound, and you’ll also hear elements of groups like Coldplay and Death Cab For Cutie. Vocalist Dean Stafford has a high tenor voice that drips with emotion, without sounding overly melodramatic or whiny. It’s quite a trick to make a CD that’s both emotional and subtle, but Pompeii has managed to do it. A few more memorable choruses and hooks would’ve made this excellent album even better.
(www.eyeballrecords.com)