National Eye Albums (2)
'Roomful of Lions'
Release Date 9/20/2005
Tracks 15
Label Park the Van
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
National Eye's debut album, 2003's The Meter Glows, was a ramshackle but often fascinating affair that touched on Will Oldham-style fractured country, the lo-fi-folkie mopery of the Silver Jews or (Smog) and the tape-loop experimentation of the Olivia Tremor Control. The even better Roomful of Lions is a much more mature and focused affair, with stronger songwriting and a more unique musical point of view. The Philadelphia-based quintet still interrupt their songs with unexpected noise bursts, but with a greater sense of song structure: witness the freaky air-raid-siren guitar that interrupts the hushed opening of "Bird and Sword," introducing the more up-tempo body of the song proper. As before, the democratic, collective feel of the songwriting and singing means that no one member of the group dominates, but throughout, the band is so clearly on the same page musically that there's an aesthetic unity that binds together the echoing, creepy psychedelia of "Invisible Raincoat" and the skewed Pavement-esque indie rock of "The Switch." Roomful of Lions is a deeply satisfying, multi-layered album. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Blending influences from '60s psychedelia, indie rock, and country-rock, Philly natives National Eye construct an album that's full of first-album innocence. What's most likely one of the most honest rock & roll records of 2003, Meter Glows reflects National Eye's effort in being intensely careful in crafting each song; each has its own thought, its own feeling, so that Meter Glows is matched in style and in substance. The band's tight vision of structured electronic samples, synth beats, pianos, and hushed vocals leads to a cohesive swarm of beautiful noise. From the gushing cling-clang of "Friday Afternoon Theem," to the dark whispers of "Dracula's Always With Me" and "Radium Glow," National Eye keeps a few things hidden. As much as Meter Glows is rich in instrumentation, the lyrics hit all parts of the emotional spectrum. Things might not be explicitly arranged in order for the listener to understand National Eye's message, however the band's desire to leave the listener thinking and wondering is what makes Meter Glows one of those treasured albums. It's a mind trip, not in the traditional sense, but in the way the gauzy atmospheric takes hold, National Eye touches upon what most would like to forget, while giving it a little TLC in the process. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
