Loveless - Gift To The World (2003)

Loveless was a Boston-based indie rock band. Releasing records on Q Division, the band was composed of Dave Wanamaker and Pete Armata, both of the 1990s rock band Expanding Man, Jen Trynin, and Tom Polce from Letters to Cleo. The band formed as a project by Wanamaker and Armata in 1999. They both recruited Polce to play drums, and Wanamaker successfully included Trynin in a guitar-playing/ back-up vocalist role. In 2000, the band, named after the My Bloody Valentine album Loveless, threw together a 5-song EP, featuring four tracks that would appear on their future full-length album, and one other track, "Natural." During this time, the band began to tour around the Northeast area, playing a few shows every month, especially in New York City and Boston, where the members resided. The band had to take a break in the midst of preparing the new album because of Trynin's pregnancy, extending the wait between EP and album to 3 years. Polce has stated that they had initially planned to release the album a year after the EP, but when Trynin announced she was pregnant, they collectively decided to wait to release the album until she would be able to tour with them.

The band finally released the full-length album, Gift to the World, on November 11, 2003. The album received critical acclaim from many publications, including The Boston Globe, Rolling Stone, and Spin Magazine. The lead single, "Go," received considerable airplay on Boston and New York radio, and was included in an online campaign for the Abercrombie & Fitch clothing company. However, following the release, the band didn't tour or promote the album as many expected them to. The record release show wasn't held until January 18, 2004, two months after the album release. From then on, the band played a lot of one-off opening shows, never really hitting a touring stride or playing another headlining show.

During a show opening for Kay Hanley in August 2004, at The Paradise Rock Club in Boston, Massachusetts, Wanamaker announced it as being the last Loveless show ever, stating that, "I think the band is done." Since that show, the band has gone on an indefinite hiatus. However, in late June 2007, Dave Wanamaker posted a message on Loveless' MySpace page that said he would be playing some solo acoustic shows during that summer in the NYC area; it is unclear if these shows ever took place, as no follow-up post announcing the dates ever came. {source: wikipedia}

This disc is a fantastic balance of alt-rock and powerpop, with hooks to die for. "Go" is perhaps the finest album opener I've heard in years and it makes the band's intent very clear here. The entire disc is lyrically sharp, musically dynamic and flawlessly produced. I can't recommend this enough. Dig in and enjoy...

192kbps @ http://lix.in/-5192ee