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The Stratford 4 Album Reviews 3out of 5
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Love & Distortion

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Clearly the market for shoegazing is at an all-time high which would explain the signing of The Stratford 4 to New York's Jetset Records. They are clearly in debt to fans of FX-pedal legends such as Ride but trail in the wake of modern-day equivalents like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The music varies between the howling feedback of 'Where The Ocean Meets The Eye' and quieter, reflective moments like '12 Months'. Where this young group disappoints is on their attempts to rock; on 'The Simple Things' and 'Kleptophilia', for example, they sound cliched with Chris Walla's deadpan, effete "don't give a shit" vocals doing the sub-Primal Scream surroundings no favours at all. 'Telephone' even lazily lists bands like Spacemen 3, Belle And Sebastian and The Stones making them sound like little more than a student band too in love with their record collection to bring forth their own ideas. However, 'Tonight Would Be Alright' and 'Tiger Girl' at least have the tunes and the sense of space that should see them progress and they actually save their most intelligent moment to last in the form of 'Swim Into It', an ethereal mix of distorted guitars trails. A decent first effort then but there are unsigned acts operating in this genre who have a more developed sound than The Stratford 4.
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  Track Listing
01 Where The Ocean Meets The Eye
02 She Married The Birds
03 12 Months
04 The Simple Things Are Taking Over
05 Kleptophilia
06 Telephone
07 Tonight Would Be Alright
08 The Story Is Over
09 Tiger Girl
Standout Track Swim Into It

Standout Track = Standout Track

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Weblink:
http://www.stratford4.com/
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Also Recommended:
Amusement Parks On Fire - Amusement Parks On Fire
Autolux - Future Perfect
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - B.R.M.C.
Chapterhouse - Whirlpool
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