The low hum at the beginning of Winston Park introduced indie rock fans to the calculated and deliberate slow rock of singer/songwriter Dave Fischoff. The first track, “Happy Birthday, Dear Norman,” creatively utilizes “found sounds” to create a mysterious opus. That song seamlessly blends into the second track, “First Sleep After the Riots,” where listeners first hear Fischoff’s clean guitar work combined with his controlled, Robyn Hitchcock-like vocals. The song maniacally utilizes noise to create a sonically diverse song. The disjointed and scrapbook style of sounds continues on “For the Ones Who Fall in Love on Buses.” Fischoff’s echoing vocals on “Photo From a Car in Winter,” combined with a wave of distortion, create an atmospheric feel to the song. The disc comes to a close with “Breakfast in Covington, GA.” The song starts off with a single guitar chord, followed by Fischoff’s hushed vocals. While the music rarely rises above a relaxed, slow-motion feeling, Fischoff is able to adequately translate beauty and pain through his music. The disc was released on Indiana’s Secretly Canadian Records in 1998. – Stephen Cramer
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