A shoegaze band can adopt usually one of two schools of sound; either the overbearingly fuzzed out and effectually mind blowing guitars that convey soothing melodies over punkish rhythms, or the slowed down and aerial space tones and powerful astronomical vocals of Cocteau Twins. But a band like Brooklyn-via-Long-Island’s Weed Hounds is able to pull off both sounds rather well. Their first proper self titled full-length dropped last year (following a couple of singles, a split 7” with Dude Japan, and an impressive demo cassette), and it’s a well versed, well thought-out act of harshly heavy tones juxtaposed against breathtaking reliefs, all arranged in pleasing succession, so as never to let one end of the spectrum take over entirely. A line is drawn between weighty fuzz choruses and extremely airy verses, interwoven with Laura Catalano’s celestial vocals, which penetrate in heightened beauty, sometimes echoing the radiating reverbed guitar highs, and sometimes gorgeously contrasting the pummeling force of swirling delayed fuzz. The band will be performing at the upcoming CMJ Music Marathon on October 14 at the Acheron. –JP Basileo
