| The Gary's debut,Chub,became the golden child of Austin's music scene late last
year. Despite a silly,lighthearted demeanor for the press,the Gary delivered an
ambitious seven-song EP that completely disrupted any notions formulated from
interviews. Continuing where Chub left off,the band's first LP taps into its raw
energy and filters it into impeccably constructed guitar lines. Logan is packed
with even more guitar gusto and unrelenting energy.
"QSB"quickly sets the tone of the album with a delightfully catchy chord
progression from guitarist Trey Pool. Bassist and vocalist Dave Norwood muses
comfortably amongst the sound with charmingly unsteady vocals that sounds more
like he's reflecting privately than singing - slightly reminiscent of the
National's Matt Berninger's casual style. They use their trump card early with
the varied second track,"Vice,"crossing from ominous and frantic guitar work to
a bright,accessible chorus and back again,showing immense range in a
three-minute package.
Even during slow-tempo jams like "False Sunrise"and "Don't Send Me There,"the
Gary keep their intensity without long,winding solos. The constant movement
throughout all of the instruments puts them into a clean,glorious lump of sound
that hits listeners with a punch. Their intricate,interweaving guitar and bass
lines - backed by the untiring drumming of Paul Warner - takes an exhausted
formula and redefines it,making an ?interesting,fresh album.
In order to maintain momentum and spontaneity,and as Norwood puts it,a
"human"element,the entirety of Logan was recorded in four days to 2-inch tape.
(self-released)
http://www.myspace.com/thegaryatx | 
