SUMMERLAND

This humble "debut" of sorts rather timidly introduces the style that POOR GENETIC MATERIAL would ply over the 4 albums that mark the group's season cycle of the early 2000s. Coming off of 2 essentially ambient records, "Summerland" acquaints us with two-timing vocalist PHIL GRIFFITHS of ALIAS EYE, whose pipes inherit the authority of his father MARTIN GRIFFITHS. The style here is not unlike the softer aspects of ALIAS EYE, with more than a nod to the preceding "Free to Random" works. In fact, this is one of those albums that never seems to be played at a high enough volume to garner attention, apart from a shining melodic shift here or a vocal outburst there. Yet taken as a whole it exultingly bears the laid back uniformity of a lazy summer season, with the simmering sense of a life to be savored, in which western ideals of growth and productivity are folded neatly along with the autumn clothes. Yes we will get to them but don't rush us! The response is loud and clear in "Rush of Ages" that opens the follow up album "Leap into Fall". But for the meantime you may enjoy the atmospheric soft rock of "Summerland".