[image-4]Published June 19, 2008.
Tomcat Combat
I'm Okay You're Okay
(Noyes)
Navigating the dangerous waters of post-rock is not easy since there's a fine line between sounding inspired and uninspired. Tomcat Combat manage to do the former by shunning the cliched quiet-build, big-release framework that bands such as Explosions In The Sky milk endlessly. Tracks like "Pacer's Club" and "New City Blocks" ride heavy math-rock grooves and open hard with loud guitars and burbling synth noises. While some moves blend from song to song (and in other cases, become easy to anticipate), they generally avoid repeating riffs, which is refreshing. With a first album in the can, they'll only get betterwith time.
---Andrew Robinson
