Exploring the Axis

Blasting out of the gate on their first formal release with the white-hot, wild and weird energy of “Down In The Desert,” on Exploring the Axis Thin White Rope showed well before Pavement that California’s Central Valley had an ear for taking twisted Americana and skew-whiff art-rock to create new hybrids all of its own. Guy Kyser’s vocals and lyrics show both an ear for sharp wit and bug-eyed intensity, while the band’s collective sense of keeping a steady central focus while seemingly fraying at the edges gives the album an atmosphere of blasting heatwave shimmer.