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Spraydog – Lines Are Drawn Only By the Eye (2003, Kittridge Records/Morgan Leah
 Records)

     At first glance, Spraydog’s Lines Are Drawn Only By the Eye gives one an
impression of a quiet, subtle band with slow, droning sounds and willowy vocals. 
The cover art boasts what looks like a colored-pencil drawing of swans, cattails,
and lily pads with an “earthy” brown background.  Flip the CD over and some of the
song titles just don’t seem to mesh: “Some Sort of Corporate Attack,” “Pregnant
Angel,” and “Monkey Hanger” look mismatched against the peacefulness of the inlays.

     Pop the CD in, and the first song, “Postcard” begins, a bland account of a 
person’s relationship with their parents, sung as a male/female duet with extremely 
flat vocals.  The track tells a story about parental relationships, announcing, 
“Got a postcard from my Dad/I said he shouldn’t come ‘round here/Kicked him out and 
watched him disappear.”  But despite the simple lyrics, there is something lurking 
in the background of Spraydog’s shtick: crunchy, groaning guitars are pushing 
through to create a beam of light, and give a forecast of what’s to come.

     As the album progresses, it is clear that Spraydog is not your typical English 
band.  Hailing from New Castle Upon Tyne, England, you might expect their sound to 
have a soft, emotional overtone.  Each song seems to get stronger and stronger, 
with amazing riffs and irresistibly catchy lyrics.  Track 4, “Melter Twine,” will 
have you hooked immediately.  The ironic beauty of this band is their ability to 
mix both deep, heavy guitars and beautiful singing, with surprising twists.  
“Melter Twine” begins with heartbroken male vocals, only to later incorporate 
Hannah Bett’s high-pitched screams of “I really hate you, you know I really hate 
you” over and over, until the song fades away.

     Not often are bands able to pull off a combination of loud alongside quiet and 
make it not only appealing, but prove it a display of their talents.  “Us vs. 
Mascis,” track 7, is not only a brilliant song title and a bold  proposition, but 
the song in fact could rival with J Mascis’ knack for heavy composition layered 
with somber singing.  Spraydog is, without a doubt, a force to be reckoned with, 
and prove that there is more to them than meets the eye. MF