Pompeii plays the kind of music that quietly seeps into your emotions as your ears fill with reverberating sounds of high and low. They are talented musicians, and song writers.) What music doesn't borrow from elements from the past and present? Despite what general comparisons of malaise and confusion you might find in the stories they tell, you won't hear it in Pompeii's arrangements and performance. Caitlin Bailey, the only gal in the group, plays the cello and Rob Davidson rounds out the pack on the drums. (Yes, Pompeii's lead singer Dean Stafford has a similarly high-pitched voice and, yes, there are jangly bass and guitar hooks served up by Shane Stevens and Erik Johnson. No, this sense of familiarity is not due to some constant comparison to Death Cab for Cutie which I almost hate to mention here. Pompeii leaves you with the feeling of Yes, I've been there, and I get it. It's a calm, 'big picture' approach to the broken heart, and to venturing out to find a new home. It's true Pompeii does touch on subjects that most other artists do, but they do it with a removed and real perspective. The majority of this album is all about lost loves and letters, like in the title track 'Assembly', leaving the arms of home in the song 'States” and bit of a light at the end of the tunnel concept in the track Catalogue. Pompeii's Assembly is complex with waves of '80s sounds, experimental noise, and voluminous strings mixed in with serious and down-to-earth lyrics - a concoction that proves to be both touching and haunting at the same time. There is a deeper than surface sound that emanates from this five-piece ensemble. One can't help relate to the sorrow and joys that the songs speak about, as memories are brought back, and sighs are generally heard across the room. As it goes, the more you've gone through in life, the more complete a picture you can paint, thus, Pompeii creates images that invoke a tight sensibility and familiarity.

They are friends, business partners and family members, and these life experiences have shaped their sound by incorporating everyday life into their lyrics. Somehow, they managed to find each other is the busy Austin music scene and create a foundation that an earthquake couldn't shake (if there were earthquakes in Texas). With only two short years together, Pompeii have already burst through the record industry floodgates. (Though I did find that as a soundtrack album Pompeii would be great for some montage of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy contemplates the events in a café.) To my delight and surprise there was more here than another set of tracks suited to the perfect teen prom slow-dance. All those adjectives did come to mind, however, I didn't find myself immediately turning my face to cringe as if the band could see my expression being beamed through the wires in my CD player. I thought for sure I was going to be subjected to one more contribution to the brooding indie scene - guitar-laden songs that are soft, melodic, heart-felt and bittersweet. A sort of 'here we go again' came into my mind. When I first listened to this record I have to admit, I was a bit apprehensive. Shane Stevens (bass), Dean Stafford (vocals/guitar),Įrik Johnson (guitar), and Caitlin Bailey (cello).

Pompeii is (from left to right) Rob Davidson (drums), Their debut record Assembly, will release in early October from Eyeball Records, a label more commonly known for launching My Chemical Romance and Thursday. Pompeii, hailing from Austin, TX, is an emerging band that recently picked-up some notable attention at SXSW. Feature Thu Pompeii: Some Assembly Required

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