Early Recordings Review

07/13/2005 6:04 AM, AMG


Quasi is something of a pre-supergroup -- in 1998, both of its members received huge press attention with other projects (Sam Coomes with Built to Spill and Janet Weiss with Sleater Kinney.) On Early Recordings, the two stay firmly on the American side of the '60s pop map, using a tight combination of drums, guitars and primitive synths along with production that strictly avoids the smoothed-over density of most contemporary recordings. Not only is the sound excellent -- a sort of low-fi approach using hi-fi techniques -- the songwriting is brilliant enough to make it worthwhile, tripping though Elephant 6-ish retro-pop and thoroughly Northwestern indie-rock constructions. The result is thoroughly inventive, but incredibly familiar as well -- it's as if Quasi has taken all of pop's commonplaces and turned them a few degrees in a new direction. ~ Nitsuh Abebe, All Music Guide