Tyko

During their three years together, Tyko have been slowly painting themselves into a corner. Their first two albums gloried in everything that is shoegazing, yet it would seem that those albums were merely a rehearsal for A Long Way From One To Zero, their most accomplished recording to date by far. Tyko rarely put a foot wrong on A Long Way From One To Zero, but when they do with an ill-advised cover of the Velvet Underground’s "All Tomorrow’s Parties” the result is adequate, but completely unnecessary. They might not stray too far from the path walked by most contemporary shoegazing bands like Absinthe Blind, but they definitely have a desirable mix of gorgeous harmonies and glorious guitars. The biggest problem is that the band rarely let loose and really soar — they seem content to merely float around without harnessing their obvious power. It is only on the closing "And The Lights Go Out” with its multiple layers of feedback that Tyko finally leave the politeness behind and embrace their full psychedelic potential. More moments like that would have made this an essential album instead of just a good one.