Search - New Radiant Storm King :: Winter's Kill

For 12 years the critically lauded and Guided by Voices-endorsed collective New Radiant Storm King have wrestled with the fringes of indie-rock fame. Core members Peyton Pinkerton and Matt Hunter have recorded with the Silver Jews, and Pinkerton plays guitar in the Pernice Brothers. Like the Pernice Brothers, Pinkerton and Hunter pen great songs, but their dense art pop is more tightly crafted and arranged. Listeners can simply absorb these sounds effortlessly as the music hypnotizes, or tune in intently while marveling at the songcraft. Either way, a sense of urgency permeates, especially on the punchy, soaring "Constellation Prize." Breeding atmospheric pop with traces of Mission of Burma, Chris Bell, and Elliott Smith, Winter's Kill also recalls the '80s New Zealand scene spearheaded by the likes of the Clean and Bailter Space. While NRSK may jangle, they're never easy to untangle, so they satisfy the heart and the head. --Cyndi Elliott