Longwave fought against misunderstanding from the beginning; initially,
they were often mislabeled as part of the early-2000s neo-garage scene
just because of their environs (NYC) and the company they kept (the
Strokes). This couldn't have been further from the truth, as their first
two albums were shoegazer-friendly affairs that betrayed a fondness for
the textured guitar sounds of Ride, the Stone Roses, and the Smiths.
THERE'S A FIRE is a great leap forward from those already-impressive
beginnings. An expanded sonic palette that includes a wider variety of
guitar and keyboard tones, and a greater emphasis on song form place
Longwave's third full-length (there were a couple of transitional EP's
along the way) closer to the realms of the Flaming Lips or Arcade Fire,
against whom the New York trio stacks up favorably. It doesn't hurt that
Stone Roses/Radiohead producer John Leckie is on board to help shape the band's undeniably Brit-influenced sound.
