Ampline
The Choir (2003)

Review by: Jason Thornberry
Date: 11/1/03

This is Quirky Instrumental Indie Rock. Wait – is that an actual genre? And how did the term "Indie Rock" become a category anyway?

Either way, Ampline's droning guitar was a clear sign straight away, but the guitar isn't droning for the sake of holding up the entire song, the way Emo bands typically do. And the drums could be a band unto themselves, as the bass rolls along tactfully, never going Flea-like on the listener.

The only complaint is the lack of vocals, which make this easy to have on while you make the bed or apply butter to toast. The four-piece Ampline's potential in the world of indie bedroom boredom is obvious, and maybe they'll save the genre before it's too late.

A stronger release could prophesy a new morning, and "Drawn and Quartered", with those shakers in the distance, could be a great single – once an adequate singer's found. Even a shitty one might fit if he or she were shitty in an out of the ordinary way, and maybe drooled loudly or threw up on the amps between songs.