Local Review: Microtia – Distance is Oval

Microtia
Distance is Oval

Exigent Records
Street: 09.11
Microtia = The New Transit Direction + Dulce Sky + Fugazi

Musically, Microtia are headed in a direction that, although it has been done to death, is still relatively pleasing to the ears. The entire CD is pretty effect-heavy, which makes me curious as to whether these guys can pull off the ambient/noise effects scattered throughout “Distance is Oval” in a live setting. The (over)use of tremolo on the guitars at points is a bit distracting, but it does eventually find its place on the record. And you have to be quite patient to arrive at eventually. At the end of the day, however, this record gets a failing grade from me due to the vocals. I’m not feeling the vocals, man. They kill the nifty post-rock trip these guys should be striving for. Or maybe my copy just came with some bad acid. Fuck.