Tonstartssbandht’s new live LP Overseas is a mammoth achievement: a transfixing showcase of synchronicity between drums and guitar, old songs and new, rehearsed and improvised. The duo—brothers Edwin and Andy White—has been churning out these tunes for ages, releasing tape after tape and touring on the DIY and small fest circuit—their modest set at last year’s OBEY was a weekend highlight. Listening to all 16 tracks can prove either exhausting or meditative—it’s more impressionistic than most records in this vein; mileage may vary—but Overseas’ true success lies in its documentation of the band’s best qualities. Buried underneath layers of delay and sun-baked harmonies is a sense of togetherness that can only come from years of playing with (and listening to) each other. Dreamy.
This article appears in Jul 17-23, 2014.