Glass doesn't sound much like their name would suggest. Their music is fairly solid modern rock, somewhere between Throwing Muses and PFR. Shireen's vocals are reminiscent of no one so much as Kristin Hersch, but aren't quite as world-weary. The bass guitar is unusually prominent here, but not overly so, and the guitar drives things along with an abrasive edge. The introduction to the second track uses a similar vocal distortion to that favored by PFR around the time they recorded Goldie's Last Day and the melody remains reminiscent of that band's take on the Beatles. The fourth track brings in a funkier wah guitar sound to the melting pot.
The songs are all originals, penned by Shireen and guitarist/vocalist Paul Cooper. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but I wouldn't be surprised if the constant friend in "anytime" was a reference to Christ. There is nothing revelatory in the lyrical content but the writing is of a decent standard.
Like many an independent recording, there are times when this release could do with a slightly fuller sound, particularly in the guitars. Nevertheless, the fact that those guitars deliberately remain fairly restrained means that this is not a huge issue and that this is another independent release showing a lot of promise. Perhaps the indie scene in the UK is beginning a rebirth.
By James Stewart (3/21/99)
