Brain Regiment : "Dissolution"

Playback:STL says:

Brain Regiment | Dissolution (s/r)

Brain Regiment released this aptly named CD as their swan song. Self-recorded and engineered, don't expect much from the production, but the songs therein are solid, evidence that this local quartet was sorely overlooked. Singer-songwriter Corey Saathoff has a dry, emotionless singing style (think Jay Farrar, one of Saathoff's obvious influences) but a way with words. The songs themselves aren't mere lo-fi indie; rather, there are layers that weave amongst the carefully considered lines of small towns and city people.

A seductive guitar line snakes through the chorus of "South City L," while drums and a fuzzed-out axe rule the upbeat "Blind Haunt." "Call It a War" and "Shades of You" harken back to the birth of indie rock (perhaps it's the lo-fi nature of the recording), and "Shatterproof Eyes" seems a happily jumbled mess of sounds and melodies. Though all six tracks are solid, "Wrong Headline" stands out as a personal favorite. A-

RIYL: Son Volt, Guided by Voices