Sound vs Silence

Slender Means is basically the go-to band for effusively perfect indie-pop in Seattle. That’s been the case since their 2005 jewel of a debut, Neon and Ruin, and the quintet’s new record, Adrift in the Cosmos, stays true to their lively, golden pop sound. Josh Dawson’s vocals have all the soul and pathos of Morrissey’s, only delivered via Dawson’s cleaner, more dazzling falsetto. And Slender Means is a complete package – the keyboards and guitar are always fluid, the drums are always tight, and you’d be hard-pressed to find sweeter vocal harmonies than those sung by the delightful Sonny Votolato—which makes every Slender Means song sound satisfyingly complete. The songs on Adrift are intricately built on these soaring layers of melodies – halfway through the opening track, Dawson and an escalating unison of backing voices assure us, “All in all it was a good life.” It’s an appropriate lead-in to the stirring sequence of songs that follow.
- The Seattle Weekly

"SOLID, which while it definitely was that, was also bizarrely experimental and completely willing to take chances most rock bands fear these days. But that's Thee Emergency all over -- why placate the masses when you can freak them out AND rock their spines out of their backs?" -- Chris Estey, Three Imaginary Girls - Three Imaginary Girls

"A beautiful balance of insanity, enormity, sweetness, pop and power.." - Sound Magazine - Sound Magazine

Satchel’s show last night at The Croc was a sold-out sonic trip back to 1996 complete with dry-ice and some solo action from the one and only Shawn Smith. The band was so tight, it’s hard to believe that it’s been 13 years since they collectively shared a stage together. Unquestionably, a bit of Seattle’s rich musical history was reborn last night. - Cherry Bombed

Shaw unleashed his emotive vocal strain front and center, Coffey was the ying to Shaw’s yang on backing vocals and stage presence; energetic and charismatic. Impressive lead foot Justin Cronk added some powerful kick drum along with Brian Pake’s sturdy bass lines elevated the hard driving post-punk gems to another level all together.

I'm going to go out on a limb and make a prediction. With Friends Like These will make an impact on our fine local music scene in 2010. You heard it here first. - LPM Voice