Seven Storey
Dividing By Zero
Deep Elm
The answer to dividing any number by zero is technically “undefined.” Quite similar then to Seven Storey, whose powerful brand of noisy post-grunge-college/alternative-guitar rock defies a simpler explanation.
The D.C./N.C. trio comprised of Lance Lammers (vocals and guitar), Dave Norwood (bass), and Chad Kinney (drums) plays with an urgent ferocity reminiscent of fellow D.C. residents, Fugazi. Also similar is the song structure, chunky bass and powerful drums almost working as one instrument to complement and then contrast the melodic vocals and distorted guitars.
“Instr. 1” has a bass and drum line similar to Bow Wow Wow’s “I Want Candy” and a fizzy guitar line that’s like Pop-Rocks. The earnest frenzy of “Unknown Satellite” reminds me of local Maryland band Onespot Fringehead, back in the day. The instrumental “No Return Address” is almost pretty, with its sad guitar and sparse drums.
Lyrically, Seven Storey is steeped in cynical aversion for the flaws of human nature. “Enough Already” twists that double-edged relationship knife: “Love makes our hate burn… It wouldn’t have to hurt if you weren’t such a friend.” “Flavor War” bemoans the demise of true artistic vision in the music industry in exchange for The Shiny Product – “Embarrassed by what I see/What happened to ingenuity?”
Seven Storey is something I would have played into the ground in 1993. While I don’t salivate over it now in 2002, it’s still quite good.
Seven Storey: http://www.sevenstorey.com
