[Locals Only] Inkblots
The Record Player
By ERIN DEWITT
Thursday, January 31, 2008 - 3:00 pm
They did the LA thing for a while, but rock quartet the Inkblots have come to their senses and back to Santa Ana to play a chain of Orange County shows celebrating their second release, a five-song EP titled The Record Player. Samuel Munoz (vocals, guitar), brothers Jesus (guitar) and Irving Nunez (drums), and Bernardo Rodriguez Jr. (bass) play together with a solidity that surpasses the band's lifespan of less than three years. Munoz exhibits a distinct tone in his velvety drone, not unlike Paul Banks of Interpol, adding a layer of warmth to Inkblots' music. Their easy and cool feel is a level usually reserved for groups of a more mature caliber.
Pacis Photography
Inkblots hope to make their mark on the OC music scene.
"A Case for Sanity" leads off the disc with a thumping, catchy melody backing a polite, almost submerged use of profanity. "Smiling" showcases Inkblots' tightness, inducing listener anxiety by invoking a feeling of high alarm and distress before ripping into a quiet three seconds in which the only sound is the wailing line, "No one will love you more." Almost a nod to pre-war blues, "Tell Me" modernizes the classic down-and-out sound by breaking into a faster, cymbal-laced rhythm and whipping out the distortion pedal. The Record Player's last track ("And So Jesus Came . . .") starts out as a dreamy lullaby leaning heavily on rhythm guitar before Inkblots slowly build layers until the lullaby is no longer recognizable and a full-blown rock song has blossomed in its place.
Thank you Inkblots for using our picture! Visit them at www.myspace.com/inkblotsmusic.
