Vibrissae - Somewhere Away

Sometimes blurring the lines between genres can be a tricky business.  While amalgamating is almost a prerequisite for any band looking to stand apart in a ‘been there, done that’ industry, the fact remains that while some things belong together, some simply don’t.  The Portland, Oregon-based Vibrissae finds itself on the PB&J (as opposed to say, PB and Ketchup...ewww) side of the coin, cleverly mashing up the disparate sounds of guitar rock and electronica in a way that satisfies fans of both.

Somewhere Away is an album that seamlessly reconfigures the expectations of what one should expect from a trio.  After the brief instrumental chime of the opening track “Whiskers”, the album kicks off strongly with the fuzzed out romp of “Never Again”, a song that immediately displays the impressively nuanced juxtaposition of singer Imber Lingard and the multi-instrumentalist duo Emma and Aaron Bell.  

“Incident Report” and “Crooked Smile” continue the formula of shimmering guitars and processed rhythms while “Need” finds the band straight-up rocking out.  The album’s centerpiece, the haunting, My Bloody Valentine-esque  “Not Forever” is Vibrissae at it’s most concise and sincere while the ten minute plus title-track closes out the album in an epic fashion, essentially displaying just about everything band is capable of with its blissfully excessive use of washed out guitars and droning, dripping pace.

Vibrissae manages to impressively ride that line between brazenly eclectic and merely pandering on Somewhere Away, a feat that is easier said than done.  It’s within the push/pull dynamic of electronic and organic instruments that Vibrissae really sets themselves apart from the fray.  Highly recommended for fans of 90’s/00’s alterna/indie rock everywhere.

*Please note: While Somewhere Away is available on all of the typical streaming/cloud-based venues, the band’s own Bandcamp page contains a different (as well as preferred by the band) master of the album.