The name of the first track, "Plan of Attack, says it all. As soon as the first few seconds of that song seep out in search for whatever crack and crevice they can leak into, before the sharp drum beat kicks in and breaks the spell, the plan of attack, at least as far as this album is concerned, is to combine angular rhythms and liquid contours until the senses collapse. Calling their sound "rockelectrofreakout, Lynx and Ram transcend freak-out and reside in constant, condensed tension on their debut, The Systems On and Its Flashing Red. Formed in 2005 by classically trained vocalist Carli Vierke and Vancouvers electro pop soloist Julian Fane, Lynx and Ram pair Vierkes unerringly powerful vocals with swaths of bass, moody washes of synth and daringly dramatic guitars. The ten tracks on The Systems On play out like urban landscapes, all dirt and concrete, then transform into deep, green fantasies and smoky, underground overtones. The one feeling that remains constant throughout is again that feeling of being attacked, but the vulnerability that goes along with hearing Lynx and Ram isnt anything to run away from.
(Sublight, www.sublightrecords.com)
(Sublight)(Sublight, www.sublightrecords.com)