Like guerilla warfare, underground music can often be much more effective than its slick, major-money counterpart. Although records such as Somebody As Anybody lack the distribution and financial backing of, say, the new Foo Fighters album, the passion and integrity behind the songs are far and away more impacting than Grohl’s polished drivel. This is just one example, and although these two acts share little common ground artistically, a point can be made that true, life-affirming art usually falls between the cracks of big commerce and corporate greed. Austin’s Attack Formation are a stellar example of what one will discover on the gritty underbelly of a thriving scene that continues to fall under the radar of the masses.

Familiar elements dot the unique sound that this octet dream up, recalling, at times, Thurston Moore’s throaty howl (“Russian Song”), John Frusciante’s isolated dirges (“Running Fire”), The Cure’s early guitar propulsions (“High Noon”) and even label mates Gorch Fock (the churning guitar intro on “Pearl Snaps”). All of the band’s influences are honest and subtle, however, never intruding on the swell and static of their own burgeoning sound. Attack Formation’s greatest strength is their ability to remain passionate throughout Somebody As Anybody, giving each song its own sense of immediacy and importance.

While the band gives off a strange combination of solid songs and haphazard delivery, abstract sound collages and samples glue it all into one cohesive offering. Both spoken dialogue and mind-bending noise provide transitions throughout, adding a desirable cinematic element to the record as a whole. This is a tough trick to pull off, but Attack Formation wisely maintain the delicate balance between experimentation and grating noise. For the sonically adventurous, Somebody As Anybody is well worth seeking out.

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