by Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover

Hooray. A "new" American band that's worth getting excited over. First of all, few U.S. bands seem to have any interest in ethereal sounds mixed with the power of fast tempos, of mixing sonics with impolite hard, steady rock, but this Providence group is instantly impressive. Imagine a way-better version of the few truly great songs by the young Drop Nineteens (only much deeper and more penetrating, and without the unfortunate MBV fixation), or even the Belltower via "In Hollow." There's an urgency to all the material that's particularly great, as if Difference Engine were perpetually carried away by the rush, and that's a great effect. The songs are well constructed and interesting, and consistently exciting. Most of all, there's a depth, a resonance to their billowing sound that catches one right from the opening chords following right through the whole of this LP. 16 years after Joy Division's landmark Unknown Pleasures, it's good to see bands still can find new niches to mine in the darker side of agonizing yet beautifully moving, textural, subconscious rock. This one's a real strong keeper. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.