True story: After a spin of the New Pornographers' latest CD, Challengers, the ol' office iTunes slipped straight into Not Just Noise's self-titled CD. However, I didn't realize that this had happened. Instead, I mused to myself, 'Boy, who is this? It sounds kind of like Belly or Letters to Cleo. Or one of these random '90s MP3s I have on my computer.'
Coincidentally, in this week's paper, Christian Schaeffer reviews Not Just Noise's disc -- and mentions the very song I heard:
Not Just Noise arrives with a strong, if ominous, presence on the album-opening “I Hate You So Much.” The bass and guitar pluck out countermelodies on the low strings, while the drums play loose, circular patterns before a metallic smack of distortion begins the song. It’s a formula that Not Just Noise employs several times on its self-titled debut, relying on the spookiness of spindly guitar figures and the air-tight pop of the snare drum to create a heavy atmosphere.
Does this mean he likes the rest of the songs? Read on:
Singer Heather Gracey is something of a chameleon on these songs, moving from a Belinda Carlisle-esque coo to a throat-scraping growl. Her range is impressive and her phrasing nimble, but too often it sounds as if she is floating above the music rather than meshing with it. (This may be a problem of production, or it could be a result of trying to have an alto voice with such a bottom-heavy band.)
View the rest of his review here, and check out "I Hate You So Much" below.
"I Hate You So Much":
