UUVVWWZ

Specializing in no-wave flavored indie rock, UUVVWWZ isn't a typical verse/chorus/verse/chorus structure. While many of the group's songs aren't quite as unusual as their string-of-letters name may imply (most of them do, in fact, incorporate choruses), the group steers pretty far from the norm on their 2009 self-titled debut. The musicianship is stripped down and deconstructed, with close attention paid to negative space. Sometimes this instrumentation, or lack thereof, verges on messy, but never to the point of feeling unfocused or falling apart. Singer Teal Gardner alternately shrieks like a banshee and sings in a sultry Chan Marshall style, while her lyrics are intelligible, yet not easily decipherable. There's definitely a J-pop influence present, particularly in the excellent Melt Banana tribute "Jap Dad," where Gardner titters Morse code jibberish over a crazy descending guitar and bass scale before squealing the hook "M.A.K.E.M.E.L.O.V.E.Y.O.U!" Their wilder moments show that UUVVWWZ is a unique force in the indie world, while the sweet, soothing moments of "Neola¤o" and "The Sun" prove that they're just as good when they show restraint and mellow out. There's a fine line between simplicity and chaos.|