Dim coal night (EP). Glass Oaks

Another round of Noisetrade (www.noisetrade.com). Glass Oaks has put an EP on the website that trades music for nothing or more, that is not so much special, but so nice to listen to that a review is totally in order.

Glass Oaks is from Lynchburg in Virginia and are just four guys, John, Taylor, Ben and Joel playing good old indie-southern rock and pretty much anything else with a guitar in it they like, I notice. After four songs it's all over already, but a lot happened in the meantime.

Dim coal night kicks off with the up beat rhythm, melancholy sounding 'Screens'. A song that starts small, but slowly explodes step by step, becoming more electric by the beat. In this song Glass Oaks tries too hard to be a pop rock band that wallows around in U.S. rock a little bit too easily. Not bad, but not special.

The fun for me starts with the title song. 'Dim coals night' is a warm country rocker. Not unlike Dawes is capable of and very faintly reminiscent of Wilco. The singing is warm, just like the organ sound and the lead guitar. Glass Oaks is on to something here. Not there yet, but certainly showing the potential to grow.

'Man off land' is another rocker with a wide ranging riff and 'Eye of the tiger' guitar muting, before rocking out. This song sort of shoots off in quite some directions. Glass Oaks is looking for several things in one, making for a very busy song, but certainly on the right side where songs go.

'Cassette' is the final song. A slow ballad, acoustic and a great ending to Dim coal night. A welcome song after the "violence" of 'Man off land'. Perhaps it's not meant to be that, but in my opinion 'Cassette' is my favourite track of this EP. (And who hasn't made a cassette tape for a loved one one day? -Cassette tape? What's that?, asks a teenager?) This song speaks to me most and seems to suit Glass Oaks and its singer best.

Glass Oaks does not have its own sound; yet? The sound it does have is quite diverse, as you just read. Some of those directions pay off pretty well, with 'Cassette' and the title song right up front. Whether this is going to be a band worthwhile to follow time will tell. In the meantime I'm enjoying myself with Dim coal night.

Wo.

You can listen to and download Dim coal night here:

http://noisetrade.com/glassoaks/dim-coal-night-ep