Film School - Self-Titled Review

First Impression:
Final Impression:

A dreamy mish-mash of genres, Film School's debut awkwardly (yet effectively) falls somewhere between grunge and late-'80s psychedelic pop. The disconnect between driving bass lines and turned-down, tuned-out vocals demands attention by its very evasiveness.

The track "11:11" can initially be a bit misleading. It begins with a disco-punk bass-and-drum beat that evokes recent hit songs. But seconds later, synth and delayed guitar noise banish those visions of newer-wave dancing in your head for the remaining six minutes. The song continues on a disembodied journey that builds, recedes, expands and finally goes supernova, leaving behind a cloud of reverb. Tracks like "Harmed," "Breet" and "Sick of the Shame" offer a bit of contrast to moodier compositions, mostly by turning down the noise. These relatively fuzz-free songs reveal the band's penchant for melody that's often hidden by distortion elsewhere.

Film School toes the line between pop accord and complete chaos. More accessible than some similarly noisy acts, Film School shows a good deal of promise as an emerging talent.