Sciflyer

After attracting some attention with their self-titled debut last year, California's Sciflyer have polished their sound and given us a better example of what they can do with all those guitar effects. Although only a three-song EP (their debut was only six tracks), the length of the songs and the rich layers of sound make this worthy of attention, especially considering the improvements made since their first release. Using better recording equipment hasn't hurt their warm and fuzzy sound, and fans of the shoegazer/space rock genre should take note of Sciflyer. Both "Slowfire" and "Studio Audience" blend deep, processed guitars and murky vocals into a nice sonic style. They pick up the pace with their cover of Hüsker Dü's "Powerline," which admittedly feels slightly out of place, considering their other material. Still, it's good to see that bands are continuing to take the best bits out of a much-criticised genre and make something new and interesting, even if their influences are easy to spot.