Every Corner of the Room

Album Review

The trio of solid musicians comprising the Curtain Society took several years to issue this late 2005 album, which finds them moving pronouncedly into expansive dream pop territory. Coming so long after the band's previous effort, 1998's Life Is Long, Still, the songs have had plenty of time to evolve in the studio, and it shows — they shift, they move, they morph — but they often don't arrive anywhere, which is what holds Every Corner of the Room back from a stronger recommendation. "Cave In" is concise and sensitive and thoughtful, but not catchy. That role belongs to "Beautiful Song" and "Two Wonderful Stars," two wonderful songs that work intelligently within the group's vocal limitations. (Lead singer Roger Lavallee, like so many within the shoegaze genre, has a passable at best voice, though he evinces a surprisingly strong falsetto on the Elliott Smith-like "Diver.") Drummer Duncan Arsenault is a perfect metronome but all too often doesn't challenge himself, allowing his rhythms to fade into the background. Tracks like "Chemical," "Feather," and "Motorcycle Baby" just kind of drone and drift in space, betraying Galaxie 500 roots. On the other hand, "Marigold Girl" proves a standout, with far more personality and propulsion to it. With less adherence to shoegazing sonic standards and more adventurousness like the production touch of a French horn on "Not Very Long," the Curtain Society could have made a stellar dream pop album; they're that talented and that disciplined. Instead, Every Corner of the Room falters under its own drone and hum, hiding its finest pop moments in the darkest corner.