Tammar - Visits Review

Noisy and epic, 'Visits' is a proper debut for the post-punk band Tammar.

Tammar - Visits (Year) – 6.5 / 10.0
Label: Suicide Squeeze Records

After two EPs released only on vinyl, five-piece, post-punk band Tammar has released their official full-length debut Visits. Much like Tammar's previous efforts, the emphasis is squarely on the band's minimalist yet epic performances. Tammar likes to jam out -- four songs go past the six minute mark, and three of those go past the seven minute mark. Things often start slow with steady percussion and guitar rhythms that seem to be tuning rather than getting to the point, but Tammar are focused on creating mood, capturing a feeling, and putting you in a mindset that only comes from long winded instrumentation.

Much like most post-punk, noise rock groups, front man Dave Walter doesn't so much sing rather than use his voice to add another layer to the busy and robust musical soup created by his band mates. Sarah Wyatt Swanson and Josephine McRobbie's percussion stirs the simmering pot to its climatic boil where Evan Whikehart's guitar writhe in orgasmic pleasure. Rounding out the band is the co-owner of Secretly Canadian, Ben Swanson, on a vintage Crumar. The songs often hit the mark -- "The Last Line" nears U2ish levels of grandiose with Whikehart's guitar making a powerplay near the end of the song. Equally impressive is "Summer Fun", probably the most accessible track on the album, that should be the kind of music The Strokes are making rather than Angles.

As much as Visits impresses, the album does become a bit redundant. I really would like to know what Dave Walter is saying in his songs, but his voice is too indistinguishable other than being a breathy mess where one word could be mistaken for another. I understand that it's fitting for this genre, but why not break away from the norm to deliver something that more audiences can connect with. Also, the album's mixing isn't as good as I would like it to be. The levels felt out of whack, and I had to crank the album up just to hear it. It's a small complaint, but it was somewhat annoying. Problems aside, post-punk fans will find that Visits is an above average experience and a great way to lose track of time.