Review / 200 Words Or Less
Tel Aviv
Underwaters

Max Recordings (2007) Scottie

Tel Aviv – Underwaters cover artwork
Tel Aviv – Underwaters — Max Recordings, 2007

Okay this will be hard, but just try and stay with me here. Imagine this: Franz Ferdinand crossed with Radiohead. I know; it's crazy, but a few listens to the latest EP from Tel Aviv and I think you'll find it hard to argue. Imagine a kind of new wave influenced rock that you'd probably be ashamed to tell your friends you'd dance to and mix that an overall tone of somber, melancholy.

With Underwaters manages to create a haunting mood, similar to that of Radio head's Kid A. Their singer even sounds a little bit like Thom Yorke on some tracks. Before you can get too depressed though the songs usually transition (nicely, too) into a kind of rock that sounds like it takes a large amount of influence from eighties brit-pop. I know you're thinking that this would never and should never work, but, somehow, it does.

The biggest surprise of all though, despite all the Euro influence, the band is not only from the states, but Arkansas of all places.

8.0 / 10Scottie • July 8, 2007

Tel Aviv – Underwaters cover artwork
Tel Aviv – Underwaters — Max Recordings, 2007

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