One of the better bands in the Bay area doing the proggy shoegaze thing, Tampa quintet Red Room Cinema's self-titled debut makes for a rewarding listen thanks to the juxtaposition of moody soundscapes and jagged, affecting guitar bursts. The combustibility the quintet displays in concert — and the prominence of the rhythm section — isn't quite captured here, but that's not to say the disc is devoid of punch. The songs are mostly instrumentals with over-the-top vocals popping up sporadically Find them at MySpace.com/redroomcinema. 3 stars
This article appears in Jul 18-24, 2007.