Space Escapade - Heartworms

Even before the dissolution of his band Velocity Girl, guitarist Archie Moore set his sights on musical side projects such as Heartworms. On Space Escapade, Moore joined forces with Trisha Roy. The duo collaborated occasionally with Chris Norborg, Chip Porter, and Kevin Moore. This disc was the band's first full-length, and it immediately caused a stir in the independent pop music scene. The disc begins with "Thanks for the Headache" from their first single, followed by a fuzzy and bright-sounding version of Blondie's "Sunday Girl" with Roy on vocals. It's followed by Moore leading a cover of Brian Wilson's "Girl Don't Tell Me." Radiohead's "Creep" is also covered on the disc. The songs are simplified and spacy pop/rock. From the start, Moore and Roy favored simple song structures, adding layers of distortion, synthesizer, and keyboards to the mix. The duo attempts a duet on "Really, Really, Really Sorry (Parts I & II)." The vocals aren't completely synchronized, creating a purposeful awkwardness throughout the song. The instrumental title track chimes in on track ten. It would be the perfect album-closer, but the band instead opted to add an acoustic version of "Blues for a Heartworm," the electric version of which was on track four. Overall, a mostly enjoyable and impressive debut. ~ Stephen Cramer, All Music Guide