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Dec 11, 2014 Web Exclusive By Hays Davis

“Slowcore” might have been the easy tag to pin on the Dallas, Texas band Bedhead, but this comprehensive overview amply illustrates the beauty created in recordings that reveal considerably more than a mere inclination not to break a sweat. The four CDs (or five LPs) of 1992-1998 collect Bedhead’s three albums and all their singles and EPs, and a 40-page book offers an in-depth study of the music and a thorough career overview.

As a quintet with three guitarists, Bedhead’s members had the means to shape their sound as they saw fit. Tracks like “Haywire” build to an intense swell, while others move with layered, low-key interplay. But they excelled at subtlety, demonstrating that a simpler, more direct approach doesn’t necessarily mean minimalist or downbeat. Though always at their disposal, a song like “Burned Out” didn’t require a display of might to drive a delicate, moving melody that plays like the sound of candlelight. (www.bedheadband.com)

Author rating: 8/10