Sarasota

I'm Not My Habits EP (self-released)

By Erin Lyndal Martin
Published: July 31st, 2010 | 7:00am

While it's certainly possible to reference earlier musical trends in a fresh way, Sarasota is still figuring out how. In the meantime, the band regurgitates some of the more forgettable moments of several movements—namely new wave—on a record that seems to be reaching for the retro, electronic simplicity of bands like Hecuba.

Sarasota (a.k.a. Justin Crowell) uses layered synths, shaker loops, and echoing vocals to piece together I'm Not My Habits. "We Should Find!" and "I Fled to the Midwest" use the aforementioned palimpsest synths throughout, though "We Should Find!" ends in a mess of distortion. Opener "This is the New Stuff" isn’t guilty of such sins, yet remains forgettable despite all the sounds that comprise it.

Even the album's highlights aren’t that memorable. "Painting the Hudson River" has a fresher sound and the addition of female vocals is a nice change, but it's not enough to redeem the EP, nor is the shoegaze-inflected closer "I Bid You Goodnight."

While it's commendable that Crowell has undertaken the challenge of the one-man band, it seems he's taken on too much. Perhaps working with collaborators could inject their sound with some youth and longevity. Until then, Sarasota is destined to sink among all the other so-so electronic bands.

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Sarasota official Web site

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Comments

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fatchface (about 1 year)
i actually quite like this album. i can see the comparison to shoegaze but not so much hecuba or new wave at all, nor would i call sarasota an "electronic band."

GregZoneX (about 1 year)
I have to agree with fatchface....usually I like your reviews, but this seems way off base. New Wave? Really? Where? Also, "shoegaze" is a confusing way to describe an interpretation of an old country/spiritual song...