The Potomac Accord - Silver Line on a Black Sea
(self-released)
The packaging of this CD is possibly the most derivative-looking thing I have ever seen; nothing could scream "indie rock" any louder. The cover bears a striking resemblance to Godspeed You Black Emperor's first album, and the liner notes are written in an equally pretentious manner. Musically, the record isn't too surprising--the first track is based on a repetitive piano melody, with wispy vocals and strings building over it; it has the same pseudo-chamber feel of Rachel's early recordings. "To Portland, Maine" is pure emo/indie generic-ness, with a terrible tinny guitar clanging around the mix while the vocalist intones his tribulations. Jim Steed thinks that the Potomac Accord were an emo band that decided at the last minute to rip off Godspeed You Black Emperor, hence the piano replacing the guitar in most tracks and the derivative artwork. Whether that's true or not, this CD manages to achieve a new level of mediocrity. Avoid.
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