miniaturized
Self-Released, 2023
8/10
An all star assembly of some of San Diego’s finest, the guitarist/vocalist Timothy Joseph (Buckfast Superbee, The Palace Ballroom, Phasers on Stun), drummers Mario Rubalcaba (Earthless, Rocket from the Crypt, Hot Snakes) and Chris Prescott (Pinback, No Knife) and bassists Brian Desjean (No Knife, Mistress 77) and Chris Torres (Ron Blair band, Chris Torres Band) comprise miniaturized, who turn in 14 songs for this first album.
“Riots” starts the listen with a sci-fi buzzing, before warm guitar and gritty yet melodic singing enters the soft indie-rock, and “Blues Glass” follows with thumping drums and a bit of dreaminess populating the lush textures.
Further along, “Cave In” makes great use of fluid acoustic guitar and precise, rumbling bass, as the setting turns into a louder rocker, while the swift “The Most” makes the most of quirky keyboards amid the punchy alt-rock of the album’s best.
Close to the end, “Perfect Angles” recruits some pop ideas into the highly memorable, driving delivery, and the dense piano of “Why Don’t We Play God” exits with a slight jangle to the cautious yet animated modern-rock ideas.
As great of a debut as you’d expect from these players, fans of Pixies, Built To Spill, and the early days of R.E.M. should be highly impressed.
Travels well with: Loud Hound- It’s Okay To Be Lonely Part 1; Strange Parade- The Watchers