Taking Time To Tell You: A Brief Review Of The New Album From Chime School (Seablite Spin-Off) On Slumberland Records

While one wouldn't be entirely surprised by what's on offer from Chime School on their self-titled debut, there might be some surprise at how robust some of this is. The shoegaze-tinged indie of Andy Pastalaniec's home band Seablite, and the C86-influenced legacy of his label Slumberland Records should be clues at to what's going to be within the grooves of Chime School, out this Friday, but there's much to discover here that will charm in a different, less familiar way.

Early single "Taking Time to Tell You" was all Byrds-y goodness, but "Anywhere But Here" marries Sixties stuff up with early Ride. It's a bracing cut, as is "Fixing Motorcycles", a gem that made me think of early Oasis, oddly. I mean that as a big compliment, obviously, and that's not to say that lots more of this doesn't owe huge debts to other Creation Records artists. "Get a Bike", a real highlight here, marries early Primal Scream up with that hint of a Gallagher-ish swagger to excellent effect. Listening to this, one is sort of surprised how much energy is left in these forms.

Andy Pastalaniec's to be commended for finding new sources of juice in the same set of influences that have fueled so many other groups lately. That all of this is wildly tuneful and full of chiming delights is all the more reason to rave about it. But, hey, what isn't worth raving about on Slumberland Records lately?

Chime School is out on Friday via Slumberland Records.

[Photo: Force Field PR]