Pitchfork

Today's review is guest- written by Justin Davies, bass player for the Hold My Coat (ex- Source of September) and occasional contributor to "Jets and Rockets" E-zine. He calls himself some sort of expert on "emotional" music.

Barry Lott sounds like a Senator, or a quarterback. Or a Senator who used to be quarterback. Not his voice-- his name. His voice sounds like that whisper/ scream guy in Sunny Day Real Estate. If Barry Lott really were a Senator, he'd be the Senator to the State of Rock. If he actually played quarterback, he'd play for the Rockers. The guy really rocks. He also displays this rocking ability on the Guitar instrument.

Remember when we used to ride our bikes through the forest to the convenient store? The sun was fresh and we were 12. I used to buy lots of candy. You would buy a Slush Puppie. Then we'd hold hands and think about the sky. When I listen to Camber, I remember these days. You could say I'm nostalgic for these days. When I hear Barry Lott sing, "Every time that you cry/ It strips my soul away," I almost cry, because you can almost hear Barry Lott crying. You could also say that the caustic guitars and pummeling drums "strip" your "soul" away, because they are so powerful and good.

The goodness of this record has a lot to do with the production of John Agnello. I remember when I first heard Jawbox, the record was produced by John Agnello. His production is awesome and makes other indie bands sound like they're in a basement, which they usually are. Mr. Agnello adds rich, subtle textures to the crisp, dense sound. It sounds exactly like how a fresh cup of coffee would sound like on a cold Autumn morning, if you could hear it instead of tasting it. I really can't explain how though. Just trust me. It's that good.

Those of you who think that emo is dead and that '60s pop is now the coolest thing, you should think again. Camber single- handedly keeps the emo torch alive. It's a small torch, and nobody else should be allowed to touch it. My band would like to touch this torch, but alas, we can only hope to study in its warm glow.

It's really not fair. My band, the Hold My Coat, could never make an album this good. We really can't afford to make it sound this professional. Plus, I can't get off work from Caribou on Thursdays, which is the only night Jordan doesn't have classes. It would take us at least three years to make a song as good as "Temporary," which sounds like a cross between Chavez and Velocity Girl. It's a great mix of slightly menacing guitar and delicious pop chugging. My kitty, Hemingway, went under the bed when the opening guitars broke in with a sick twist, but then she came out and danced on the pillows when the chorus broke open. I hopped around and danced on the furniture. There are some super- subtle chimes on "Spirit Gum," horns on "Wait," and some traces of keyboard on "Home Movies." This makes the music even more pretty and better.

Like I said, Camber is my new favorite band right now. I love how short and to the point the record is. There's a little bit of everything on here-- big time, jagged rock, delicate pop, and hypnotic churning in only 35 minutes. It really puts bands like the Get My Gun, Everywhere But Anywhere, The Did You Tape Friends, and Alanalda to shame! This is how emotional music is done!

Editor's Note: Justin will no longer be contributing to Pitchfork. However you can catch his band's final show and 7" release party at the Sock Drawer House in Green Bay on September 14th.