torn ACLs: Cedar By The Sea (Herts and Essex Zine)

The recent wave of North American artists invading university radio stations the world over, has built up into a tsunami of educated and poetic souls vying for the attention of the cappuccino sipping musing types.
The Torn ACLs is another addition to this scene, American indie pop infused with elements of jazz and an array of global instruments. Their well produced debut EP ‘Cedar By the Sea’ combines simple pop song structures layered with beautiful melodies. The EP opener ‘Reputation’ begins with a cacophony of hand claps which quickly dissolve into the songs opening beats, a basic idea which proves innovative and inviting in the first seconds of the record. The EP is reminiscent in some areas of a less talented and avant garde Hot Chip. Lyrically parallels can be drawn with Ben Folds Five, vocally- Weezer and the electro pop of The Postal Service.
A section in closing track ‘Obsessively, compulsively’ providing lots of feedback guitar, shows potential for something more raw and less perfectly polished, which would make the record slightly more appealing to me as the sickly sweet fairground pop begins to bore after a while .
The torn ACLs obviously have the talent and the ideas destined to make them as successful as their contemporaries, however I still found myself waiting for the epic climax of each song. ‘Cedar by the sea’ shows potential, however a rougher finish to harden the smooth production would prove the perfect tonic. For now, however the EP will probably remain confined to the geek chic soundtrack of coffee shops and bakeries in the groups hometown of Seattle.