The Symphony Case

Cultivating a sound akin to current trendy bands such as Codeseven, Day One Symphony, and Radiohead, The Symphony Case explore the path of experimental, melodic rock. While it may not break into much ground not already covered by their aforementioned predecessors, the quintet nonetheless demonstrates an exemplary understanding of their genre and craft a marvelous hour of music on Cumulus, which utilizes a rich layering of sounds and textures to bring the full quality of the music to the foreground. The Symphony Case consciously avoids the tag of "space rock;" instead the band stays song-oriented throughout the course of the album and resists the temptation to launch into a full out existential sampling of instrumentation. Normally this more traditional approach to the genre would serve as a backlash--the clear decision to stay within the confines of established song structures should place a limitation on the experimental aspect of the band's music. However, this is not the case, as The Symphony Case boil down recent breakthroughs of their contemporaries into a clear, coherent vision and present it as a surprisingly commercial sound.

Be it the slow lurching of "Jezebel Red", the smooth transition of "Indifference", or the upbeat, energetic stylings of "Rebirtherapy", Cumulus displays a wide variety of sounds and an ever changing approach to The Symphony Case's craft. A few tracks really anchor the pace of the album and bring together the artistic vision of the band into clear view. "Terror in a Glass Cave" spearheads the album as a powerful track that interlaces the many different strengths of the band. The song starts with a slow, steady progression, relying on the interaction between electronic sampling and Josh Ricchio's cool voice to keep the momentum going. Instruments weave in and out of the picture as the song reaches a climax and impacts full force with a bombardment of cymbals, linearly cutting guitar chords, and the ultimate attention grabber, strings! Those who always wished their favorite band had a string player will rejoice upon the sight of Megan Leach, resident viola layer of The Symphony Case.

"Cave-In" continues in this line of outstanding composition from the band. Whereas "Terror in a Glass Cave" is a more subdued offering from the band, "Cave-In" is a bit more aggressive with an overlying dark, atmospheric presence that surfaces during the choruses and almost gives a nod to A Perfect Circle's work ala Mer de Noms. Lastly, "The Unfortunate Soldier" wraps up the collection of songs that represent the band's complete sound. This track leans more towards the experimental side, letting the vocals slip into the background as the instruments get some well deserved attention from the listener. Not everything about this band is straightforward and dogmatic; "The Unfortunate Soldier" proves just that.

The Symphony Case can hang their hat on a very impressive debut album. All the pieces come together and show a group of musicians flourishing in their element. Cumulus is chock full of melodic, driving songs, subtle, yet powerful instrumentation, and a top notch vocal presence. The band may strive for an overly mellow approach at times, but a recent relocation away from the shores of sunny California and into the concrete jungle of New York may give the band that extra edge that they need to push them over the top.

While the The Symphony Case may not be the most innovative band in the scene, they prove masterful at stitching together the works of their modern counterparts into a distinct sound of their own that exhibits a more acceptable presentation to the average listener. Thus, it would not be a stretch to imagine that The Symphony Case will be the one who propels this small sub-genre into the limelight at some point in the future. With a plethora of influences and ideas at their disposal, this is a band who we'll be hearing much from in the near future, and at least to this reviewer, it will all be very welcome. Until that time, Cumulus is a must listen for those seeking to escape the mundane and dive into something a bit more intangible.

--Jordan Volz
- decoymusic.com