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It sometimes happens, some music albums seem like they fall from the sky, like meteorites, and make us crazy. An album that perfectly fits into this category, is Longwave’s fourth one ‘Secrets Are Sinister’. This American band was formed in 1999. Its members were Steve Schiltz, vocalist, guitarist and songwriter, Shannon Ferguson guitarist and bassist, David Marchese and drummer Jeremy Greene. We can describe their music like a combination of shoegaze and indie rock. All their three previous albums are notable: ‘Endsongs’ (2000), ‘The Strangest Things’ (2003), ‘There’s A Fire’ (2005). But ‘Secrets Are Sinister’ is, in my opinion, their best work. High energy sound, ”real” drums, never stopping guitars, bass that bites, a beautiful  voice.

First song ‘Sirens In The Deep Sea’ starts with a guitar-drums bombastic rock combination that tries to calm, the gentle voice of Steve Schiltz. Beautiful & simple melody builds an almost progressive, complex music web. The second song is the absolute highlight of the album!: ‘No Direction’! Howling, storming guitars present a fantastic riff, the song “runs free-for-all”, the vocals are amazing pretty mature, yet fragile at the chorus…An extraordinary, overwhelming song. Almost a hymn! The next song is called ‘Satellites’. Strange noisy guitars drive us into a pleasant and easy listening chorus. ‘Life Is Wrong’ is deluged with a melancholic shoegazing melody buried under rip-roaring guitar distortion. An excellent bittersweet song. A hidden rhythmic greatness can be heard in the track named ‘Eyes Like Headlights’. Bass & drums at the first seconds, followed by the guitar, which changes the rhythm, to a faster tempo! A flawless chorus leads the song to perfection. A clop of drums along with a buzzing noise of trembling guitars that ends in a harmonious melody, characterizes the next song ‘I Don’t Care’. ‘It’s True’ is by far my favorite song of the album. Shoegazing  guitars, like a symphony, produce  a perfect-epic riff. Steven Schiltz’s singing is awesome, emotional, atmospheric & warm as bliss. A song that burns slowly inside us. ‘Shining Hours’ is pretty calm, with a fabulous guitar riff-bridge before the chorus. Finally, the homonym tune is a perfect closing track for this great album. Fast yet atmospheric & euphoric, with crystal 4AD guitars, while Steve Schiltz brings Bono to mind at this song.

I don’t know how “sinister” are the secrets of Longwave. The thing I do know well is that ‘Secrets Are Sinister’ is a perfect example of alive and kicking indie rock music.

Theodoros Rentesis