Crosstide

In the Pablo Neruda poem "Waltz," the poet relates his seaborne plight this way: "My mouth is full of night and water/The abiding moon determines what I do not have/What I have is in the midst of the waves, a ray of water, a day for myself, an iron depth." The metaphorical workings of a crosstide — rough waves surrounding calm water — aren't within reach. Chances are the music of the Portland, OR, quintet that took its name from that poem would also be out of reach for Neruda, but West Coast emo-pop followers find much to relate to in the band. Formed in the late '90s, Crosstide culled its members from a variety of local hardcore and punk bands. Besides high-school classes, what vocalist/guitarist Bret Vogel, vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Rian Lewis, vocalist/bassist Nicholas Forde, drummer/programmer Matt Henderson, and keyboardist/percussionist Erick Alley had in common was a desire to break from sharper-edged sounds and chart a more melodic course. Cribbing from such '80s influences as New Order and R.E.M. as well as dreamier artists like Nick Drake and '90s heavy-hitters Smashing Pumpkins, the band, led by Vogel, pulled its first passel of songs together in time to impress tastemakers at Austin's South by Southwest conference in 2002. There, producer R. Walt Vincent (Pete Yorn, Liz Phair) caught the act live and helped launch it nationally. In 2004, Crosstide released its self-titled debut EP without a label deal. A year later, Slowdance Records, recognizing the appeal of Vogel's lush vocals paired with the players' U2-like guitar atmospherics, signed them for Life as a Spectator. That disc, front-loaded with Brit-pop flair and indie rock interest, displays a depth and maturity that should find Crosstide holding its own against the mercurial pop current for several albums to come.