Month of July , 2006

Zelda Pinwheel
The Laundy Room EP
2006 | Transparent Voice

The latest release from Zelda Pinwheel -- an amazing "melodic noise" band opening eyes wide in the New Jersey and Philadelphia scenes -- is a four song EP featuring the single "up from a laundry room floor." The release is billed as a precursor to a full-length record still in the works (slated for release this Summer). The single itself is probably the best recorded representation the band has yet gotten of their current live sound and show. What is most notable about the group is their improvisational skills, which over the last few years have quickly matured along with excellent song writing to deliver performances that are visceral and spine-tingling. "up from a laundry room floor" is the band at their best, popping your ears between sound scapes, wrapping you up and pulling the floor out from under you, and is a sign that their upcoming full length is not to be missed.

Accompanying the single are three "brand new home recordings," dense, clever, and intimate pieces that sound as though they were developed in the relaxation of privacy. The tracks on this release show lead singer Stephen Quranta to have a greatly improved vocal style, with more interesting melodies and more command over his voice. While the pieces range over the sounds of the band, from electronica to improv and howling horns, "laundry room floor" gives you a great idea of how the band has begun to manipulate rock music (like so many other forms), merging it into their interests and expertly exploiting it. The beautiful keyed and trumpeted melodies on "swan song; maria" and the bouncy jaunt of "lighthouse sex-romp" really fill out this EP beautifully and make it worthy release and purchase.

The Laundry Room EP, along with ZP's earlier discography, is available online at the Transparent Voice store.