Review Summary: Short but sweet.
Known better for his role in the raucous and passionate shoegaze-y punk of Title Fight, Glitterer, the debut solo release from vocalist and bassist Ned Russin, is a satisfyingly rough-around-the-edges slice of lo-fi dance punk. Clocking in at less than a quarter of an hour, the deep bass tone and big 80s synths never overstay their welcome, with all eight tracks running for less than two minutes apiece. Nothing on the album sounds entirely new – comparisons to The Smiths and other similar artists are fairly obvious, but it offers an enjoyable experience nonetheless. Album highlights ‘A Line’ and ‘Little Song’ are cheerfully melodic, and the nonchalant and mostly monotone vocal delivery throughout provides a fitting accompaniment.
Despite what is overall a very positive release, ideas are often limited by the short runtime. ‘Central Air’ for example showcases a promising idea with a bright and playful synth line, but is not given time to progress and evolve into something more than just a neat little intermission. The vocal performance also, while thematically appropriate, lacks the passion exemplified in Ned’s other work, and one can’t help feeling that a little more bite would elevate many of the tracks to a higher level of quality. However, for what it is, this release is a brief but charming collection of ideas that show great promise for the future of this project.
