The Guest Bedroom

Treading Water/Blowing Smoke

Popsick

Evan Dickson (CHARTattack)

09/11/2008 3:16pm

The Guest Bedroom describe themselves as a "nervous and somewhat dramatic rock band" on their MySpace page. This might sound like a weird self-description until you hear the shrill post-punk guitars and staccato rhythms on their Treading Water/Blowing Smoke EP. Add Sandi Falconer's wailing vocals to the mix and you have a band that just won't let you relax. Each song feels spastic and desperate, like doing a Red Bull-fuelled all-nighter to meet a procrastinated deadline. As far as good/bad judgments go, those who like TGB are bound to love them. Ask yourself this question: "Am I a De Niro or a Pacino?" Robert De Niro is too relaxed for this EP. His eyelids are perpetually half-closed. He likes to take his time, endlessly shrugging and frowning before he'll mumble a single line. Al Pacino wants a band on the edge, where he's got to be. He's into sudden explosions of energy and walking extremely fast. Pacino is the ultimate Guest Bedroom fan and probably has all their posters in his bedroom.