20 Minute Loop

The songs are nowhere near 20 minutes in length, there aren't any discernible loops in the production and the disc's title has nothing to do with the Canadian Alliance's leadership woes. Rather, Decline of Day is the second full-length effort from San Francisco rock quintet 20 Minute Loop, a group that arrives at its distinctive sound by way of smart, complex arrangements and an intertwined male/female vocal routine, which is at times reminiscent of the Pixies and X. Keyboard player Kelly Atkins' sweet, often soaring voice strikes a keen balance with guitarist Greg Giles' gruff timber, whether trading verses back and forth or harmonising on tricky syncopated scat bits. The co-vocalist approach serves as an effective thread between these 12 tracks, some of which would otherwise come off as stylistic strangers to one another. Tracks like "Jubilation" and "Hell in a Handbasket" cast the band in a dark, driving and almost sinister mode, while "Pilot Light" and "Moses" finds the group exercising its melodic pop muscle. Meanwhile, selections like "All Manner" and "Daughter's Down" betray 20 Minute Loop's tender, delicate side, providing listeners with an opportunity to appreciate the unit's brainy, image-laden lyrics in relative slow motion.