Tiers’ first solo album shows the prolific engineer producing his own cacophony of noise for once, by way of either a four-guitar ensemble (with occasional honking sax) or intricate multi-tracking on his own. Throughout Brighter Than Life, Tiers’ long experience in the studio proves time and again that he’s one of the unsung heroes in the production of noise that’s actually diverting. The occasional surf line does a good job of keeping the listener in touch with the proceedings. – John Bush