The Hero Cycle “Lakes and Ponds” – Seven Days

Excerpt – “Opener “Breathing In” sets the tone for the rest of the record, with pinprick guitars and gauzy vocals that share an attractively muted quality. It’s a close cousin to shoegaze, the dreamily melodic genre that captivated indie fans in the ’90s. The main difference is velocity: THC skip along with a punky energy that’s missing in the haze-happy acts of yore………..“Lovers Crime” brings the keyboards to the forefront without sacrificing the six-string thrust. Wall’s voice floats airily above the instrumentation in a lovely, if disaffected, way before Smecker takes over for the bridge…….My favorite cut on the disc is the closing number, “You vs. Them.” While still somewhat derivative, it’s got a romantic quality that sounds gloriously bona fide. There’s also a really cool lead guitar part that shows the band is capable of more than just shuddering strums and cascading octaves.”

Seven Days