They supposedly took their name from a mysterious South American pickpocketing school, which trained its students by having them practice on mannequins equipped with bells-- one of them rings: the student fails. It's an effective metaphor for how SVIIB synthesizes its music: Carefully pulling from a myriad of sources (inspirational and instrumental), but doing so with cleverness that only comes from discipline and patience.
Progressive, euphoric, dreamy, epic... We really can't build up this debut LP highly enough. Addictive and very pop sensitive.
1. Iamundernodisguise
2 Face to Face on High Places
3 Half Asleep
4 Wired for Light
5 For Kalaja Mari
6 White Elephant Coat
7 Connjur
8 Sempiternal/Amaranth
9 Chain
10 Prince of Peace
11 My Cabal
Tired of pop rock? Electro just not doing it for you? Then why not resurrect that old genre 'Shoegaze'? It neatly describes ethereal ditties best executed by achingly-cool NYC threesome School Of Seven Bells. The trio left two other bands behind to form SVIIB, but it was SO worth it – in Alpinisms they've created the soundtrack to the Noughties dreamer generation. - BBC Online
