Cathartic, hard-charging indie guitar rock

This Portland band was originally a one-man project of singer-songwriter-guitarist Tommy Harrington. His debut, 2004’s Let Go Afterglow led to extended solo touring, but unexpected fatherhood and a regression into drugs shelved the project until Harrington was able to get clean and refocus. Gathering together a bass player and drummer, Harrington self-produced this nine-track release, combining hard-charging guitars and brutally personal lyrics. A few of the tracks, particularly the opener, recall the guitar textures and cathartic fire that fueled U2’s early, pre-messianic, albums. Harrington frees himself of childhood trauma as he flays his brother with the album’s title phrase, “failure looks so good on you,” and retraces the steps of his recovery in the daily commitments that keep an ex-addict anchored. As a songwriter, he keeps his sleeves rolled up so you can see the scars, and his guitar is a good match for the ferocity of his words. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Ladysmith
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