Looming – Nailbiter

There’s an undeniable charm to Springfield, IL indie pop outfit Looming.  For their debut full length, Nailbiter, front woman Jessica Knight commands a fierce pulsating vibrato that hums like a buzzing bee.  Her style is comparable to that of a more intentional, tighter Screaming Females, which serves as a point of departure from the more loose flowing vibe of the quartet’s prior self titled EP that perhaps aligned closer with Chumped.  The tonality remains remarkably steady in a way that begs vague comparison to The American Scene, although the instrumentation falls far closer to Pet Symmetry’s fluttery chords.  Such subtle evolution makes for a resolute first impression that should land Looming in a likeable light by a wide audience.

After building tension through the steady drum thumping and pedal drawn instrumental combo of “Intro,” Looming authoritatively launches into the deep dark world of “Cotton Tongue.”  Under the mid-tempo roll of rock-centric riffs, the band leads up to the repetitious marching chords accompanying Knight’s forcefully vocal buzz.  Looming’s way with words makes for ear perking, unconventionally attractive passages like, “you can see the red before it starts to run, you can sop it up with your cotton tongue.”  Throw in any numbers of song-to-song variations like a chorus of backing “ahhs” in “Onward” and “New Eyes,” harmonizing layered accompaniment in “Linear Lies” and Jordan Fein’s periodic male companion vocals in “Strive” and “Impermanence,” and Nailbiter holds attention through the thick of it all.

Other points of interest, in particular the noodly riffs making headway in “Eat” and “Brother,” should appeal to those in with the Tiny Engines Records and Count Your Lucky Stars Records twinkly indie scene (something in line with Anabel, Look Mexico, Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), Future Perfect and such).  While not a revelation by any means, this artful inclusion flourishes sections of Nailbiter without succumbing to the typical meandering tangents of said bands.

Looming is bound to make quite the preliminary splash with Nailbiter.  The four-piece sounds incredibly tight for a project still in its early years, meaning that as far as first impressions go, Nailbiter shines bright.  There remains room for growth and greater depth of various subtleties, but the strength of the core alone should be enough to draw an appreciative audience.