by Leilani PolkThe cover of All Around Surround is a light pollution map of Florida tilted against a featureless black backdrop, a visual that gels with the album’s tensely coiled post-punk and driving percussion-imbued indie rock dosed in lightly experimental ambiance. The first proper solo release from Mrenc (the pseudonym of Lakeland-based New Granada Records artist Eric Collins, of the late Dark Romantics) carries dark dissonant notes, from the chorus of calling vocals, percussive chugging thrust and guitar-jangling urgency of lead-off single “The Architects,” to the stripped-down closer “Cover Me,” made up of strummed guitar, swirling ambient sonics and Collins’ echoing layers of vocals. (Critic's rating: 3.5 stars.) Mrenc performs a free in-store celebrating his album’s completion and hawks copies of All Around Surround this Saturday afternoon at Microgroove, the local indie record shop owned by none other than New Granada’s Keith Ulrey.
Details: Mrenc CD Release Show, Sat., Sept. 14, 4 p.m., Microgroove, Tampa, free admission.