Halfway There
These days it seems as though every new band is drawing influence from Gang of Four and Joy Division. This is not the case with LA’s dream-pop trio Gliss, for they prefer to conjure up visions of late 80’s space-rock. Unfortunately, Halfway Gone is an EP made up of euphoric moments that are overshadowed by unfocused musical and vocal stylings.The opening track “Blue Sky” with its numbing, grinding guitar riffs, is one such moment. The music is raw, gritty, and authentic, but the “I’m so high, now I’ll sing a Rock song” mood of the vocals feels forced. “Velvet Stars” is a good down-tempo song that could’ve been great, if only it had more direction. The title track showcases the singer’s best vocal performance; sitting higher in the mix, his voice has more presence and a dreamier quality. However, less focus is paid to the accompanying music and as a result sounds a bit watered-down. The most successful track in the collection is “Kissing the Blvd.” This is the only time that the band achieves a happy medium between blissful, over-the-top dream-pop, and big, lush vocals. Sure it’s bloated and overdone to an extent, but the sheer beauty that lies within the song can’t be denied.
Gliss is one of those bands that will be enjoyed immensely by some and completely ignored by others. Those of you who long for early Garbage records or a Curve reunion will find this record wonderfully rewarding. However, if you are a person who is looking for music that pushes the envelope, then your best bet is to look somewhere else.
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