North of Nowhere Album Review

Hailing from Christchurch, The Response, also known as Andrew and Victoria Knopp, have just released their third full length album, North of Nowhere. 

This is one of those indie acts that do everything themselves, from recording to artwork, and that’s a quality I admire in any artist. Sometimes with bands who are subject to different outside influences, however helpful they may be, there are deviations from the band’s original intentions. The compromise for a greater listenership is your independence.

This is a band that isn’t influenced, and you can tell by the music. The duo’s sound is unique and infinitely catchy. Swinging between minimalist electronic tracks and garage rock. Their strong point are songs like Gone and Left Me where traditional instruments are given a subtle electronic treatment. The effect this subtlety has is intense. A song that would do well as an acoustic track played predominantly on guitar is transformed into something ethereal and unique.

North of Nowhere is available now for download and stream from the The Response Bandcamp (http://theresponse.bandcamp.com/album/north-of-nowhere). I also recommend listening to the band’s previous releases to show how far they’ve come, and because those albums are also great listens.