I hear about new bands from quite a few different places: friends, discussion lists, indie bands advertising on the net, great e-zines, and my girlfriend. Gideon's Press, however, is the first band I have heard about from a band member's mother. That mother is Rosemary Roraback, mother of Paul Roraback. If the name sounds familiar, it's because Paul was the drummer for the incredible Grammatrain until they parted ways at the end of '98.

In Gideon's Press, Roraback brings back his phenomenal drumming and combines with Jerry Craft (on bass) and Michael Blake (vocals, guitar, keyboards) to provide some of the tightest alternative rock I've heard in a while. Now the first question that comes to all of our minds is "Could this be another Grammatrain?" The answer, of course, is no. The two bands aren't even comparable. Grammatrain rocked out in a grungy, thoughtful way; Gideon's Press combines the spontaneous creativity of a jam band with elements of folk and groove-pop. They are, however, quite a bit dreamier than the above descriptions would imply. They lack the thick guitars and ranges of emotion that one would associate with shoegazer, but at the same time, they definitely lean in that direction. They have both electric and acoustic moments, and offer a variety within one distinct sound.

Lyrically, Gideon's Press is very spiritual without being pushy. They incorporate a good deal of imagery while challenging the listener to think and reflect. Consider these lyrics my right to be wrong/I boil in my misgivings while my failings linger on." Some songs portray a confident belief; others admit feelings of doubt and lack of faith that we all experience.

The disc that sits in my player contains only 4 songs, so I tentatively give Gideon's Press debut CD 4 stars (1 for each song!). Of course, I reserve the right to modify my judgment with the release of a full-length album, and I'm looking forward to hearing more material soon. Once you hear these songs, you'll know why. These guys will definitely be a band to watch out for, and I'm glad I'm on the bandwagon early.