Cellophane - EP

Although they were dismissed as Bush clones upon their unspectacular debut, Cellophane was actually much better than that. Songwriter Shannon Crawford has a great voice, alternating between a shrill screech and a tuneful moan with ease. And the songs have a dark atmosphere that compares to Perfect Circle or Cold filtered through School of Fish. The driving "Here We Lay" kicks things off with a strong blast of catchy mainstream rock, and the superb "Down" continues things in a heavy vein. But moody ballads like "Cut Away" break from the mold, replacing the hoarse wail of other songs with a delicate falsetto. Of course, the heavier songs take up most of the album, but the quieter moments make this debut so memorable. Despite a prime spot on the first Ozzfest tour, Cellophane's first album hardly made a dent in the alternative music scene on its release, and faded into obscurity. But this is much better than what most would believe, and most fans of alternative metal will probably enjoy this album quite a bit.