Once again, we're presented with a local band who wear their influences pretty obviously on their sleeves. Ordinarily, this sort of record-collection flaunting would annoy, but with Amazing Reverb Engine, it's actually advantageous. Peep these self-admitted inspirations: My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and Mary Chain, Sonic Youth, Medicine, Ride, the Beatles, Jesu, and the Elephant 6, Creation and Silencio labels. With taste like that, Amazing Reverb Engine deserve more credit than debit.
The Pomona quartet's three-track Driver EP (Deathstack Records) begins with “The Sound,” which evokes Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine collaborating on a fuzzy, amiably glowering pop song, with Fabio Ventura's and Dylan Sang's guitars and Rachel Jalbert's bass growling and purring with big-cat prurience. “Want to Tell You” brings to mind JAMC's Jim Reid singing over My Bloody Valentine's sublime sucrose-rush guitars. If that sounds like your idea of a rad time, then this song will glaze your shoes to a blinding sheen. “Want to Tell You” is the disc's highlight, freezing time in an eternal, golden 1988 of swerving, swooning tremolo-guitared bliss. “Slip Between My Fingers” features a seductively languorous, descending chord progression, blissfully glum vocals and a rhythm that recalls Joy Division's “Means to an End” (always a good thing).
Amazing Reverb Machine—Ventura (guitar, vocals), Sang (guitar, vocals), Jalbert (bass, vocals) and Neil Johnson (drums, vocals)—formed only a year ago, so some derivativeness can be expected. We suspect that over time, Amazing Reverb Engine will formulate a more distinctive sound incorporating elements from the bands they love with more subtlety.
Amazing Reverb Engine perform with Sky Parade, Shields and DJ Short Shorts at the Prospector, 2400 E. Seventh St., Long Beach, (562) 438-3839; www.prospectorlongbeach.com. Sat., 9 p.m. $5. For more information, visit www.myspace.com/amazingreverbengine.
Attention Orange County/Long Beach musicians and bands! Mail your music, along with your vital contact info and a decent high-resolution photo (plus any impending performance dates) for possible review to: Locals Only,OC Weekly, 1666 N. Main St., Ste. 500, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Or just be lazy and e-mail your MySpace link to ds****@oc******.com.
