Eleven Hours In Antwerp

Virginia's Impossible Five plays a spacey hybrid of brooding rock and harder edges that manages to stay pretty interesting for the duration of the 12-track LP. Loose, reverberating guitars lead the way through the more pensive numbers, but the group has no problem shifting into early punk singalong styles either, especially on the closing "Deception." Slightly fuzzy vocals command the record, but they are oddly melodic and inviting in a Fugazi-like fashion. Much of the record actually sounds quite a bit like the later and more melodic work of D.C.'s favorite trendsetters, but Impossible Five also work in some jagged rock moves to keep listeners guessing. Eleven Hours in Antwerp is far from a trendsetting record, but it follows and builds on existing styles with enough conviction to be convincing. The band can handle all speeds and styles with equal agility, and there is a personable quality to the songs that makes it more than a throwaway punk record or a dull moody rock effort. Tracks like "A Transmission by Wire" burst with nearly chaotic energy, and Impossible 5 are able to downshift their sound in a split second, making their strengths even more noticeable. This is the kind of record that may never make serious waves, but for a few folks lucky enough to hear it, it could become something of a personal favorite. ~ Peter J. D'Angelo, Rovi