REVIEWS

I:Scintilla
The Approach

Posted: Friday, March 31, 2006
By: Erica Anderson

The word Scintilla is defined as a minute amount, an iota or trace, or simply as a spark of flash. There certainly is some of that spark of flash in the music of the Illinois band I:Scintilla. I can only imagine what the band’s live performances would be like, but I imagine it would be more than a spark and more of an explosion. The Approach is the band’s debut album; imagine the alternative rock band Garbage taking a more industrial route... the results would be The Approach. I:Scintilla doesn’t really offer anything new or innovative here with their brand of industrial rock, but it is addictively catchy, and that alone makes this album worth owning. Lead vocalist Brittany Brindrim certainly has taken her cues from Garbage’s lead singer Shirley Manson with her polished seductive vocals. The comparison to Manson is evident on the hard-hitting “Scin,” the opening samples eerily resembling Garbage’s “Wicked.” The Garbage comparison can be both a good and a bad thing; while imitation is flattery, there should be a limit to how much. Thankfully the Garbage influence is limited to a couple of tracks on the album. One of the most compelling songs on The Approach is the haunting ballad “Translate.” It is not often that an industrial band would incorporate acoustic guitars in their music, but I:Scintilla does that here. The song begins as an acoustic ballad, but as the song progresses the music begins to take a more electronic approach. Lyrically, it is one of the most beautiful songs on the album with lines like, “Interlocked, insatiable, unraveled, and untwined / All that I have left is what I wish I’d left behind / with ignorance ignored.” The way that those words were put together gave the song a haunting quality not often heard or felt in this type of music. Another memorable track is “Capsella Bursa Pastors,” in which the music takes a different direction. The song has both a trip-hop and industrial element. The songwriting on the entire album is very strong. There is plenty of angst without sounding overtly whiney, sadness without being too depressing, and introspection without sounding too self-absorbed. “The Intruder, Part IV” is the weakest track on the CD. It is an instrumental track filled with unusual samples that would easily fit on a Skinny Puppy or Velvet Acid Christ CD. It sounded out of place on a CD filled with songs that are more polished with a pop edge to the melodies. The Approach closes with the killer track, “The Bells,” which opens up with a thunderous roar of heavy metal guitar riffs. Brittany Brindrim’s vocals really shine on this track; she really loosens up on this track and lets all of her aggression out. The combination of industrial, rock, and techno may not be original, but I:Scintilla really livens up the sound on The Approach.