Deep Blue Hearts and Solid Hands

Wussom*Pow! plays a wispy, whispery brand of indie pop. They obviously worship at the altar of sadcore giants like Galaxie 500 and Low, but they have a ways to go before they reach those heights. The sound is certainly there: the guitars are loud in a quiet way, layered and full sounding, often with a lone reverbed guitar playing a countermelody; Linda Yeo's vocals are fragile and yearning, never really rising above the murky mix; and the tempos drag in a pleasantly melancholic haze. The only problem is that the songs are not very memorable. A record like this is more about mood than hooks and singing along, but there should be something melodic or interesting to keep the listener from nodding off. The only song that really stands out is their sweet cover of the Beatles' "I Will." The group also manages to further foul things up by throwing in a couple of loud and melody-free songs that completely shatter the mood they work so hard to create. A semi-promising debut, but one only hardcore fans of the sadcore genre should bother to investigate.