Album Details

• Artist: Guernica
• Album: Who Are Your Songs For?
• Label: Greed
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: patchen on 2008-09-19

This Belgian band mixes indie melody and harmonies with more drone-y, angular guitar work, which makes "Who Are Your Songs For?" both accessible and challenging.

"In De Wolken" shimmers with a jagged, Gang of Four-ish rhythm; "This is The Age of Too Much" slogs along at Pavement speed, while the tongue in cheek "I Wish I Was American" is the most straight ahead indie tune of the six track EP.

There is even an attempt to stretch out even more. The final song, "Conscientiously Escaping The Chains Of Western Civilization I Am What You Could Call A Postmodern Houdini" doesn't quite live up to its great title, but is still a powerful, at times daring, piece that plays with traditional rock forms and tries to escape from them.

Guernica are one of those bands that at first spin sound like too many other bands but, in each song, drop melodic ideas that keep you listening. Then you hear what original meat they have to offer. "Who Are Your Songs For?" has passion and purpose, and at times asks a lot of the band as well as the listener. They have made a record worthy of such an obvious investment of thought and sweat.

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