Memory Map's 2011 debut,
Holiday Band, is a hearty tonic of lo-fi, melodic, '90s post-grunge, guitar-governed indie pop. Recorded at bandmember Mike Bridavsky's studio in Bloomington, Indiana with bandmates Mike Dixon, Matt Tobey, and Josh Morrow, all concurrently in other area bands and all contributing vocals, the album's sound is largely defined by the able lineup's instrumentation: three guitarists and a drummer. Notably, the densely interwoven, ternary guitar parts (and drums) were recorded before vocalists were chosen or vocal melodies and lyrics were written. This process is imperceptible in songs like "Stowaway" and "Protection Clause," where the guitars sound wholly supportive of the vocal lines. Other tracks, such as "Prophet's Mouth" and "Park Bench," are more meandering, particularly melodically if not structurally. Songs such as "Serpent Wings" and "Big City" change tempos and switch up rhythms instead of letting the listener get comfortable, yet still have persistent guitar hooks and vocal lines that help hold together the mélange for even melodically demanding ears. The multiple ever-active guitar lines -- usually quite melodic themselves -- sometimes leave little space for singing, but fit together like braids rather than stacks, so by nature force the vocals out where they belong, at least in most cases. With lines constantly on the move, intermingling and trading turns, and with drums as busy or busier than the guitars, it's a strong flavor, a musical Marmite instead of butter, and the potential to be a monotonous mess is high. They manage instead to be spirited and catchy -- complex-catchy but still utterly discernable, like an ambitious math rock version of
Teenage Fan Club, and with a looseness that entices. ~ Marcy Donelson