Written By: Katie Carey

Release Date: December 13, 2011

Label: Custom Made Music

The faces of local noizegaze band Screen Vinyl Image are Kim and Jake Reid, a husband and wife duo from Arlington, Virginia. Since their inception back in ‘07, the band has kept themselves busy with the release of three full length albums (Interceptors, Ice Station, and now Strange Behavior), a smattering of EPs along with appearing on several compilations to add to their musical resumes.

The December ‘11 release of  Strange Behavior draws heavy inspiration and nostalgia from acts like New Order, The Cure, and even on occasion The Smiths. The real selling point of the album is Reid’s ability to capture a melancholy beauty in his lyrics. This is no easy feat and is most present in tracks “We Don’t Belong” and “My Confession”.

Screen Vinyl images interpretation of new wave and shoegaze on this album provides an interesting and overall good listen.  But occasionally, this album veers abruptly out of its comfort zone. The most grating example of this is in the track “Stay Asleep”, a 7 minute, 58 second long piece with two contrasting identities. The song begins similarly to all of the songs on the album, heavy on the drum machine and synthesizer. You listen, expecting another delightful new wave inspired piece when seemingly, out of nowhere, it adopts this pulsing, alien, industrial rock sound. While not an uninviting sound, it does feel foreign compared to the rest of the album.

This album is just one of many examples that make one statement clear: new wave and shoegaze isn’t going away. More so, it’s evolving, and Screen Vinyl Image is experimenting with that evolution of sound. Their fusion of industrial, punk, and electronica is a sheer delight. However, there does seem to be a need of refinement in order to capture the essence of this in Strange Behavior. But don’t turn your back on this band. One hook to Screen Vinyl Image is their consistency with trying to evolve and mature their sound, which has and will continue to have its fans intrigued and waiting for more music.

Take a listen to Strange Behavior below: