Twilight

Orbit Service's debut album is, well, a debut album, with minor production flaws, overly indulgent stretches, and slightly uneven songwriting. In a nutshell, the band would do much better on Songs of Eta Carinae, which does not mean one should skip Twilight altogether — on the contrary. It has a fair share of good songs and the uninterrupted flow of the track list gives the impression that Randall Frazier and consorts already had a clear idea of what they wanted to do. This album attracted many comparisons with Pink Floyd and Radiohead. Were they deserved? Yes: Frazier's voice does fit somewhere between Roger Waters and Thom Yorke, and the group's long, spacy instrumental stretches evoke the sedated psychedelisms of mid-period Floyd, but such references put thwarted expectations on the album and pigeonhole the band. You cannot be in a hurry to appreciate Twilight: things move slowly and the quiet, murmured vocals must be extracted from the dark accompaniment. Highlights include "Dark Orange Sunset," "The Seven Rays," and "Thought You Should Know" (although the latter would have benefited from some judicious editing), but these songs lose part of their appeal if they are taken individually — the album is very close-knit, which, due to its depressing mood, makes it a demanding listen in one sitting. Still, Twilight is a good first attempt at a sound that would come to fruition on Songs of Eta Carinae. Start with the second album, and then come back to this one if you need more orbit servicing. ~ François Couture, Rovi