The Prids – Until The World Is Beautiful / 2006 EVB 03 / 10 Tracks / http://www.theprids.com / Reviewed 11 November 2006

The Prids start out “Until The World Is Beautiful” with a drum beat that would confuse anyone into believing that The Prids are a punk rock band. What ultimately comes from this drumming is a subtle set of vocals that make themselves quickly into something that feels like an early Joy Division track than anything else. “The Glow” is this opening track, and while the guitars do not do much besides bounce from chord to chord to chord (there might be a forth in there, but I can’t tell), the track is iconic and allows individuals to get an idea what is awaiting for them later.

This same early eighties, Cure-esque sound is cultivated further by The Prids during their “Shadow and Shadow”. There does not need to be a set of vocals at the onset of this track, as the instrumental arrangements are interesting enough to keep people listening in. The inclusion of a second set of vocals for “Shadow and Shadow” is a great move for The Prids, as it allows for the band to increase the numbers of styles available to them without changing the fundamental framework that the band works within. The band keeps things interesting with “Let It Go”, which continues the trend of instrumental openings to Prids tracks, but this time allows for all levels – high, medium, and low – a spotlight on the track. The band is humble, but The Prids come out with compelling tracks that will stick to listeners’ hearts and minds for a long time after this disc ends.

Nowhere is this more evident than during the amazing guitar work of a “Like Hearts”, which reminds individuals of early nineties Sonic Youth. Why exactly The Prids are not signed to Sub Pop at this very moment is something that is a miscarriage of justice. The indie rock that the band plays on all tracks of their “Until The World Is Beautiful” is a polished, full-sounding style that never will get old, regardless of however many times individuals stick this into their CD players. There are precisely the right number of tracks to neither give individuals too much to digest or little enough to feel ripped off. Give this band a spin, as they play a brand of indie rock that cannot easily be categorized any certain way. They play their own style of music, and this will benefit them considerably in all future interactions with the music industry.

Top Tracks: Forever Again, Like Hearts

Rating: 6.1/10

[JMcQ]