Search - Stratford 4 :: Love & Distortion

Stratford 4's shoegaze revival

Wickerlove | Canada | 11/02/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"'Love And Distortion' falls somewhere in between the feedback blasts of My Bloody Valentine/Ride and the dreamy drug-induced vibes of early Spiritualized. Along with Nick McCabe guitar whines of The Verve is a sludgey Pavement-type sound lurking between the cracks, yet without straying too far away from the shoegaze template. The closest comparison to these echoing riffs meets white-noise can be found in The Pale Saints or Springhouse. Nevertheless, the trip continues to be atmospheric, trippy, with the listener barely hovering off the ground."

I'm dreaming and drifitng away

J. Rossi | Downers Grove, IL | 08/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An excellent album; don't let one of the negative reviews deter you from buying this album as it is far supeior to their debut, "The Revolt Against Tired Noises." In fact, it is one of the best albums of 2003 up to this point.The music is akin to late 80s England (Spacemen 3 in that band's more quiet moods, MBV, Slowdive, Ride, etc.), but as good as those bands are we need an update on the sound. S4 provide it. But where the above bands were sometimes avbrasive, S4 are always smooth. And for those who love the lyrics as well, vocalist Chris Streng isn't afraid to let his heart leap out of his chest and run free for all to see.Almost every song is dealing with love and loss. Whether it's 'Where the Ocean Meets the Eye,' '12 Months,' 'The Simple Thngs are Taking Over,' 'Telephone,' 'Tonight Would be Alright,' or 'Swim Into it,' the lyrics are often sent express from the heart to the listener's brain. The album title "Love and Distortion" could not be any truer: the intamacy of love is everywhere and almost every song is soaked in reverbed guitars that soar across the airspace in the brain before coming to a rest softly in the soul.If there were any justice in the world 'Swim Into it' would go down as one of the finest recorded moments of 2003. At over nine minutes (and every second more than worth it) it is easily S4's high water mark in their career. That they are able to achieve this on their second proper album only proves the greatness they are likely to grace us with in the future.'Swim Into it' is a lovely lullaby, invoking those moments just before one crashes into dreamland where the face of *the one* flashes across the brain and her honey voice drips into the ears. When Streng sings 'I know the moon is shining sweelty on down/on me/on you/it shines on you' and the guitar seems to fall from heavenly heights, it makes the listener want to be there to witness the scene.This album has 10 songs, eight are absolutely perfect. I'm no mathematician, but that's close to 80% great. You will not find too many other albums that, from start to finish, give the listener such a terrific musical and emotional ride through everyday life. Buy this album."

The stratford 4's amazing album

missrawpower | nyc, United States | 07/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Stratford 4 return with another stellar album that is better than their debut, Revolt Against Tired Noises. This San Francisco quartet have improved their musicianship, and prove to the world once more that they know how to write great indie music. The hooks are great and the melodies are catchy. My favorite song is "Telephone" because it reminds us that its okay to sit at home Saturday nights and do nothing but listen to the radio, as long as you are listening to the great rock and roll legends."