Altsounds - The Capitol Years - We Can Stay Here [Single]

Philadelphia quartet The Capitol Years have been keeping a damn low profile since their 2006 release 'Dance Away The Terror', a hiatus I've been struggling to get an explanation for. I've consoled myself since with the fact that given they've only ever released two albums as a completed line up (the first using the name, Meet Yr Acres, which was effectively a solo vehicle for lead singer Shai Halperin) we probably haven't missed that much.

As lethargic an outfit Halperin & Co. seem to be they do benefit from that rarest of things these days, a two song CD single. This is largely because the opening, title track could comfortably be an out-take from The Shins 'Wincing The Night Away', it's guitars jangling implacably with a vague sense of authentic faux-sixties ennui.

What follows is far more interesting, as on 1,000 Guns they find a genuine sense of tension wrapped around a scratchy early period Cure riff, before disappearing off into the newly "back in" vogue shoegazing territory, fuzz and reverb pedals at the ready.

On the assumption that any of you are more than capable of downloading 'Sweetheart of the Rodeo' for yourselves though, I'll be awarding scores purely for the latter song.

You'll figure it out.