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Peck the Town Crier and Brigades Like This

Reviews originally published in the East Bay Express on 1/9/08.

Peck the Town Crier: Groundhog’s Day (self-released). Peck the Town Crier has waged war against predictability. Slowish raps tend toward spoken word and performance art, while low-key backing tracks tap into jazz, funk, bluegrass, marches, and more. Not everything works, but at least nothing is expected.

Brigades Like This: Brigades Like This (Lifeboat Records). Great intentions don’t always yield great results. Better mixing would go a long way for Bridges Like This’ debut, which stumbles in the muddy shoegazing of bands like Mogwai and My Bloody Valentine.