Artist: Codeseven
Album: Dancing Echoes/ Dead Sounds
Label: Equal Vision Records
Tracks: 12
Length: 41:16
Review by: Phil Nichols

Codeseven is one of those bands that push the boundaries of genre. Since their humble beginning in 1995 their sound has continually evolved, showing greater musical maturity with each new album. As a result, in the past decade these three brothers and two of their closest friends have had their music praised on the Howard Stern Show, lauded in various magazines, and played on college radio stations nationwide. After taking a year to write their Equal Vision Records debut, they have finally released Dancing Echoes/ Dead Sounds.

Don't expect Codeseven to return to their more aggressive roots with this album: it appears they have completely dropped all remnants of their hardcore sound. Instead, Dancing Echoes/ Dead Sounds builds off of the experimental approach they took on their last album, the Rescue. However, where their previous release sought to fuse the ambience of Pink Floyd and Bjork while maintaining the energy of punk, this album takes a more mellow approach, experimenting with darker tones and some electronic instrumentation. But don't mistake experimentation for inaccessibility; there are still some incredibly catchy choruses that occasionally emerge from the flowing piano lines and dreamy atmosphere. And while the vocals are a little bit different then they have been in the past, they fit the tone of the record very nicely.

Dancing Echoes/ Dead Sounds is a great listen. The only notable downside is that it is hard to listen to straight through, as some of the songs have a similar feel. Nonetheless, the musicianship on this album is excellent; the production is very well done; and the songs show the maturity and creativity that these musicians possess. It will be interesting to see how this band continues to mature and the direction their sound will go in their future releases, but in the meantime if you are a fan of experimental rock, dark electronica, or the dreamy atmosphere of bands like Pink Floyd, then give Dancing Echoes/ Dead Sounds a listen.