Opening the album on a loud note, "Hurricane Charlie" is a, well, 'hurricane' of jarring guitars and the slamming groove of the drums. Distorted screams blow through the song as does the fuzzed words the singer often talks. "Neurons," on the other hand, prefers the subtle approach. Instead of being loud and obnoxious, it gets its message across with dripping guitars, light percussion, and soft, windy vocals. "The Corkscrew" finds middle ground between the two and offers up a charged up, loud indie rock number that still has accompanying indie pop tendencies shadowing behind the noise. 'Sich Offnen" really finds middle ground, combining equal parts pop and rock to create a song that isn't as loud as "Hurricane Charlie," but still has the same amount of intensity. All the while, they make sure it hasn't lost touch with the sweetness of "Neurons."

"What Is Better Now" is another pounding swirl of guitar mesh and hammering drumbeats. Throwing in a techno touch to the music, it frolics around with the power and vivacious forces that are apparent in good rock 'n' roll, but doesn't lose touch with the danceable spirits that liven it up, either. Then there is "The Orb of Discomfort," a power-space rock song that swirls and moves around like a spaceship.

Not From There are definitely not from there, wherever there is (make sense?). Their sound is best described as out-of-this-world rock music that is original and noisy, which is what you should be looking for in your so-called 'rock' music today. Enough said...I'll give it an A.

Not Breathing: Itchy Tingles

Not Waving But Drowning: This Unforgettable Fear of Being Left Behind Has Won

[Issue Twenty-Two // August 1999]