Film School

Add Date: August 31

Artist: Film School

Album: Fission

Label: Hi-Speed Soul

Genre: Rock, shoegaze pop

Comments: The San Francisco band Film School has undergone a big transformation over the last few years. Their self-titled 2006 record, issued on Beggars Banquet, was a terrific collection of brooding, psychedelic post-punk that landed on my Top 10 albums list for the year. In 2007, the band followed up with Hideout, which didn't quite live up to the excellence of Film School--though stylistically, it was much the same.

Now, Film School is back with a juggled lineup, and a new outlook. Bassist Lorelei Plotczyk, who I don't believe was part of the project back in 2006, is the lead vocalist on more than half of the tracks on Fission, and her sweetly reserved delivery helps to take this band into the realm of shoegaze pop. Though it's a change of pace from Film School's previous stuff, I think it works. Fans of My Bloody Valentine, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and School of Seven Bells will enjoy this LP.

Check out "Sunny Day," "Heart Full of Pentagons" and "Waited."