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Toast Magazine, Sept. 2001 Holy damn. It would figure that I'd pick an overcast, muggy, rainy evening to write this review, because now I want to crawl into the fetal position and cry myself to sleep. True, it's the exact same reaction I get when I listen to a really, really bad demo, but in this case, I think it's the effect this music's actually striving for. This is, in fact, a very welcome kind of beautiful misery. Deep and lead-hearted, sounding sometimes like East River Pipe with a bigger sound, other times a less virtuoso Built to Spill, still others like the Replacements gone emo. And the guitars...relentlessly churning, plodding chords that stagger their way through a decrepit railway station looking for the best way out of this miserable existence, for some sort of ray of hope... ...shit, did I just write that? Anyhow. Everything is tied together neatly by the singer, whose at-times androgynous vocals shoot through my speakers, reaching out for something to hold onto, searching in vain for a place to hide, crying out in... ...er, ahem. Like I was saying, this is a good if depressing (or depressing if good) record hearkening back to the days of the early '90s when you could sing emotionally without sounding like a puberty-addled squeaky-voiced 15 year old. Just be sure to be in a stable frame of mind when you're listening to this... otherwise you might start feeling alone and sad and miserable and WHY AM I ON THIS GODFORSAKEN PLANE OF EXISTENCE AND WHAT IS MY PURPOSE OH GOD *sob**sniffle*... Top Honors. (Nate Patrin) |
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newartistdirect.com, June 2001 Waves is a moody, ethereal, and atmospheric experience. We generally don't like to make such comparisons, but Halo Effect does remind us of Radiohead for all the right reasons. Traditional instruments are blended with sounds of electronica throughout smartly crafted songs. |
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Demorama, May, 2001 Whoa. Just who is this Tom Herbers? He keeps recording these local Mpls. bands, producing CD's that sound better than most of the national crap I hear. Halo Effect is a modern guitar band in the best sense of the word. Sure you notice the obvious Pixies influences, with the quiet lulls followed by blistering onslaught, but Halo Effect seems to be a little more introspective than bludgeoning. A few more hooks might allow these folks to make a grab for the brass ring, but this disc does make me want to see them live. Minor niggle: the CD Artwork is too non-descript and generic, which the music is anything but. (Dylan Ritalyn) - Demorama |
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Pulse, November 8, 2000 Halo Effect is a group with a lazy tension. The tunes here meander around as if they have a mind of their own. Reminiscent of the luminous, heavy bands of the mid to late 70's. Comparisons to Radiohead are not far from the mark, however that in itself limits the comparison. The band is very quiet even when they are in the midst of a flurry of passion. Halo Effect burn hot like a clove cigarette, and rise like slow motion smoke. This hometown quintet has big ideas, as well as the subtle charm to pull them off. The members of Halo Effect include... While the drums are dead on, there are three members that presumably switch from keys to guitar. This only enhances the oblique nature of this band. - T. Alexander. / Pulse |
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