The anachim thorn is an exercise in disturbing minimal noise with occasional swells of synthesized sound that startle and surprise. This album is a bit of a departure for me as reviewer because it's entirely instrumental, and I have long been known for my love affair with the human voice. Appreciating the subtleties of an instrumental album requires a perspective shift.

The track listing indicates 11 distinct songs, but in reality, the whole plays like one long musical interlude that fades in and out. Changes in pitch and tempo signal the transitions from one song to another. Throbbing frequencies grow louder by imperceptible degrees until they're echoing in your head.

hellothisisalex, who are a duo consisting of Mark Prier and Melissa Creasey, are often referred to as David Lynchesque for the low key, yet insinuating uneasy quality of their music. This album won't grab your attention, but play it  often enough, and you might just find it lurking in corners of your mind.

Track listing:
01  Bus ride to the corner store
02  it's a girl
03  from over the phone
04  everybody's having fun getting naked
05  juliette
06  dinner at a restaurant
07  the unsettling car ride home
08  the transylvanian teacher's federation
09  sorry for borrowing your car
10  outside in the cold the school lights burn bright
11  lights out

Contact Info:
www.hellothisisalex.com
records.hellothisisalex.com
www.mp3.com/hellothisisalex/ 

09/09/02