The name Overdrive Amp Explosion invokes visions of noisy guitars screaming through amplifiers at maximum volume, the kind of music that would give you irreparable hearing loss. However, the music on Intervals, the debut album by this Swiss quartet, doesn't quite live up to the image described above. It's an album filled with mainly upbeat songs and a few darker selections, clean guitar lines, nice melodies, and occasional spurts of guitar fuzz, but nothing particularly explosive.

The guitars throughout “Home” haunt the air, creating a somber tone, but certainly not the homely atmosphere one would expect. The intensity is carefully built, adding suspenseful layer upon suspenseful layer layer. While the track is well played, the climax is slightly underwhelming; the dark mood disintegrates the moment the title track “Intervals” begins, which consists of bright and shiny guitars. “Kosack” is one of the more complex pieces on the album, hovering in a state of limbo between brightness and darkness and bringing the previous works into full focus. The lighter moments are plagued by glimmers of melancholy, yet it never unfolds into complete despair. The track's climax is simple yet effective; a lone guitar repeats the same riff over and over against a mass of distortion and a drummer lets loose on the cymbals. “Peace to Earth” begins pleasantly enough, but after the half way mark it changes direction completely and becomes a fast-paced jam session. Guitar effects are abound in “What the Funk,” making it a light and breezy fun-filled way to conclude the album.

Overall, Intervals is a highly enjoyable album. Overdrive Amp Explosion has shown that they are not restricted to one sound, and they are willing to experiment with the mood of a track. One line of dialogue is repeated in “What the Funk” other than that vocals only appear in “Intervals,” and they are implemented well. It was certainly a good idea to keep the other tracks instrumental, as vocals would seem out of place if they were included in large doses. Totalling just over 30 minutes in length, Intervals would make a perfect companion for a walk in the park or along the beach.

-Leanne Simpson - The Silent Ballet (NewYork)

myspace.com/overdriveampexplosion.ch