Single Frame

Single Frame Ashtray blew the minds of those lucky enough to hear their 2003 independent debut album (later picked up by Volcom), Wetheads Come Running. The album found a nice injection of young vehemence and experimentation into the sometime drab guitar-based indie rock sound. Quickly losing the "Ashtray” after its release, the album gained a lot of acclaim and really set the bar high for this Austin, Texas band, which may have been an overwhelming event for them, based on the music of Body/End/Basement. In between albums, the trio released a remix EP — Burn Radio Airtest — that seems to have pushed the band’s experimental button a little harder. This second full-length builds on their debut’s wild eccentricities by coming on even wilder. The guitars are now less prominent as synths and programming have moved in and become the rowdy roommates, as heard on the Suicide-al "Stuffed Animal Wall” and the completely guitar-less, bell-rocking "Slum Pioneer." Perhaps the biggest change/frustration of all is the decision to focus less on writing hooks, as there is nothing as satisfyingly catchy as older songs like "The Slip” or "Post Daydream Forecast Endeavor.” Not to be considered a failure, Body/End/Basement is a satisfying record that just doesn’t manage to live up to the excellence of its predecessor.