PopSyndicate.com

Not exactly a vote of confidence.

This group has been together since at least 2005 and seen more percussionists and bassists than you can shake a stick at.  Their last album, The Naked EP, had four members in the band and their current CD, “I Am The Heat,” also has four members, some of whom were not on The Naked EP album.  One member was just added to the group in 2007 after the release of “The Naked EP.” He plays keyboard, organ as well as vocals while the others are guitarists, vocalists or percussionists.
I would definitely describe their music as electro, rock, pop and post-punk.  They’ve been influenced by Talking Heads, Yo La Tengo and the Pixies.  They’ve practiced in basements, garages and anywhere else they can get together.  Most of their play time has been in Manhattan, N.Y., and they are always pushing the boundaries with their music.
With only five tracks on this CD, it’s rather difficult to call the work a “rounded performance.” The tunes are heavy on (LOUD) guitar but the percussion is pretty good and keeps the steady beat going through each song, all of which were written by the group.  The vocals are performed by two of the men in the trio, though the loudness ratio of guitar to voices drowns out anything they have to say.
The worst song on the album is “Dream Machine.” You sort of expect the song to go along with the title, but in this case the screaming guitars totally wiiped out the singer and nothing was intelligible.
I’m really not into rock.  It reminds me of the punk rock days when everyone on the dance floor stood in one place and jumped up and down.  This really isn’t dance music, but more something one would listen to.  You’re either entertained or you’re not.
I explored the group’s web site (http://iamtheheat.com) and they have not taken the time to update the site to include this new album – not exactly a vote of confidence.  They mention their forthcoming tours and gigs, but make no mention of any CD other than “The Naked EP.” Their webmaster should get busy and start hyping their latest attempt in the rock world or they won’t be performing to packed audiences.
Like it if you must, but I’m giving it a thumbs down.

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