CMJ – New Music Report

June 28, 1993

IDAHO The Palms (EP) (Caroline, 114 W. 26th St., New York, NY 10001/ 212-989-2929)

The fragile but tough-nosed “Skyscrape,” the debut single from Los Angeles duo Idaho, paved a solid path for the band’s first release on Caroline. A thick grandeur hangs over The Palms EP, muffling its four songs with a nearly oppressive tension but leaving just enough space for its gilded moments to poke through the mist. “Creep” lurches forward, with Jeff Martin’s deep vocals trampling over a bed of pretty guitars and some haunting, occasionally birdlike noises. “Fall Around” brings to mind the restrained tempos of Codeine or the Red House Painters, but with a darker tack, “Gone” slows down the pace even further, and on “You Are There”, Martin’s voice takes on a scruffier rock sound. Look for Idaho’s first full-length release, Year To Year, this fall.

— Lydia Andersen