System and Station – Here Is Now / 2006 Latest Flame / 11 Tracks / http://www.systemandstation.net / http://www.latestflame.com / Reviewed 05 August 2006

There is a lot of At The Drive In meets Queens of the Stone Age fuzz that starts out “Here Is Now”. However, during this opening track (“Find The Shore”), there is a Weezer like simplicity to the chorus that will make individuals fall in love with the band. The band may be firmly entrenched in an indie rock style but there are furious arrangements throughout the entirety of “Here Is Now” that will keep individuals perked up and interested in the disc.

For example, the arrangements during songs like “When You’re The Witness” chug along even as there are hints of Jane’s Addictions and other more sedate acts threaded throughout System and Station’s sound. Each of the tracks on “Here Is Now” could conceivably be on alternative or college radio stations, but this does not mean that the music that is put on the disc is not challenging or impressive. One just need listen to the guitar breakdown that is present during “Follow The Arrow” to hear the virtuosity of members of the band. The use of pianos during “I’ll See It When I Believe It” sound as if they could conceivably be in a Coldplay song, but the band recontextualizes them into something that is much more dark and impressive than those British hacks could put out. System and Station is another act that boldly defies convention and comes up with their own ideas concerning time signatures; whatever the band deems interesting is what eventually makes it onto disc.

The band has made a sleeper hit with “Here Is Now”. Each of the tracks draws on the indie rock tradition, specifically taking hints from bands like Fugazi and Sunny Day Real Estate, and tying them together with more current sounds and styles to create something endearing for 2006. System and Station is a mature act that can string together an album like no one else currently out on the market. The interplay between instruments and between tracks on “Here Is Now” is something that just needs to be heard to be believed. This is the next big rock act; the fact that there is not a weakness to be exploited on “Here Is Now” should show that the band is ready for the big time. If you are a fan of indie rock at all, Systems and Station should be the next album that you pick up; if not, you just suck.

Top Tracks: I’ll See IT When I Believe It, When You’re The Witness

Rating: 6.9/10

[JMcQ]