Heavy Rainbow

by Chris Mincher September 22, 2008

Soft Targets
Heavy Rainbow
Cloud 13
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"Something Else" by Soft Targets

With the long hair, vintage shirts, velvet jackets over ties, and plastic-rimmed glasses, Soft Targets sure looks like an indie-pop band. At times, it can sound like one, too. But taken in its entirety, Heavy Rainbow suggests that the group might not really have its heart in pop music. True, on some tracks, it's convincing enough: With catchy little riffs and Jesse Corry's achingly high-pitched crooning, "The World Looks Bigger Now" and "So Long, Baby Burns" kick up enough tempo to induce a little head-bobbing, and "Sirens" (the album's best track) puts a slickly cool thump behind its pulsing keyboards. But overall, Heavy Rainbow has a lethargy that drags otherwise atmospheric, drifting songs down into the fringes of soft rock. Lazily meandering guitars, with jazzy touches here and there, detract from the more likeable upbeat offerings; given Corry's vocals and the '80s-esque whitewashing, too many tracks sound like David Bowie moonlighting as a lounge singer. Soft Targets puts up a persuasive guise of indie pop, but there's a conspicuous lack of passion for it.