Gatherman Productions: REVIEWS

Sentinel, a dream-pop four piece from Oakland has returned with another very solid effort on their May 2008 release, “Kites Without Strings”. Avalanche is the second track off their new CD, a beautiful and ethereal pop-driven snapshot portraying jumping into the quick moving avalanche of newfound love without any cares in the world.

Sentinel formed in 2000 in Long Beach, California as a project between musical visionary Dennis Bestafka and long-time vocalist Tarabud. Following Airborne Infantry deployment in Iraq, Dennis returned to the San Francisco area in 2003 to rekindle the project and later picked up local musicians Jenna Tiano and David Serotkin. They then put out a few well received albums in the space up to the recent release of ‘Kites’.

You can find the new album at CDBaby as well as over on iTunes. If you’d like to hear some songs from past albums, take a listen to some past Insomnia Radio: San Francisco shows, specifically #42 and #49. [cs]

Sentinel’s latest offering, Kites Without Strings, follows their 2007 EP, Sequels and Hunches. The album’s dream-pop sound exists enigmatically with a defiance for normal principles: it’s ambient and gentle, but energetic and without silence. Inspired by the band’s exposure to the cultural and natural beauty found in the Bay Area, this mix successfully describes its four members’ experience in living one thing and its opposite.

The eight-track album opens with “Ohlone,” leading in with a catchy pulse of rhythmic drums and synth that builds into a driving chorus drenched in polyphonic vocals. The track starts off the album well, providing an upbeat indicator for the following songs.

Midway through, “Spades” serves as a percussive awakening from the dreamlike wistfulness of the album’s initial half. Drums drive and keys stand out via repeating riffs adding a refreshing zest, while ambient vocals fill where synthetic sounds sat on previous tracks. It feels organic and vibrant, like sunlight breaking dawn.

The album concludes with “Heroine,” a sultry song crawling in Phrygian. The imagery created from Sentinel’s lyrics model the band’s exotic, modal sound, which is especially meaningful as it represents guitarist Dennis Bestafka’s experience as a soldier in Iraq: “There is a tribe on lonely land / Shadows cast the shapes on evening sand.” It’s a profound escapist end to a profound escapist album.

Filled with sumptuous synth, ultra-reverberated vocals and saturated guitars, Kites Without Strings erupts like one long, happy wall of sound. Most of the songs on the album employ a similar upbeat pop vibe, creating a cohesive quality that might make differentiating them difficult. Thankfully, there isn’t a single bad track here, so this little bit of homogeneity proves itself more than welcome. (Self-released)

Sentinel are back again. Kites Without Strings is a fairly short album (8 tracks) but its packing a punch. They seem far bolder than ever before – rocking up the rock aspect of their act as well as the vocals being as dreamy as ever.

What is perplexing about Sentinel is that they seem to have been around far longer than they actually have. There has been two previous albums and even a Singles album passed through the Glasswerk reviews. And yet they have only been an act since 2006.

Its nice then to see that they have retained their image and also checking out what they can do with it. ‘Kites Without String’s in an altogether friendlier affair and probably their most pop album so far. A bit of easy access won’t hamper their artistic integrity.

Founding members Dennis Bestafka and Tatrabud the Guitarist and Vocalist respectively are probably the two members that carry the most signifing sound that is Sentinel. That doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. Sentinel are therfore blessed with a sound that is immediatley identifiable. ‘Kites Without Strings’ continues that sound. Sentinel now has a solid back catalogue that they can now hope will stretch overseas and grab new listeners. And anyone who likes the sound of a track they may hear is bound to find it easy to like the rest of their wonderful collection.

Thankfully, the torch of 4AD's legacy is being carried by little-known bands like Sentinel, who know how to absorb angelic atmosphere with melodic mastery and timeless chic. Sequels And Hunches is a 6-song mini-album that hints at the rare majesty of Cocteau Twins EP's. I'm not quite sure how these blue-collar folks make such perfectly lush dream-pop, but the outcome is nothing less than mystical. While utilizing some synth/keyboard work, Sentinel has crafted their own brand of pop that draws liberally from sources like Cocteau Twins, Blonde Redhead, My Bloody Valentine, Lush, Dead Can Dance, and Slowdive. This record is very danceable, yet is equally light. There are few bands as worthy of your attention as Sentinel is, and Sequels And Hunches is a delightfully blissed-out dreamy affair.
Rating: 8.6
4.2007

CD Review
Sentinel – Demos
By Marcus Pan

I have two demos here from modern pop style band Sentinel. Formed by Dennis Bestafka and Tarabud a few years back as a side project, the addition of David Sorotikin and Jenna Tiano round out the four person troupe of Sentinel. Sequels and Hunches is due out this summer and previously they’ve put out The Singles and a self-titled release in 2004 and 2005 respectively.

My first impression of Sentinel was how bright and poppy it was compared to other things sitting on my desk. An island of happiness otherwise surrounded by a sea of dark music. It reminds me of work by Scarlet Life[1], with a trip-hop bent and extremely pretty female vocals, sweet enough to pour on your waffles as syrup.

On one of the CDs are the two tracks Diamond and Masquerade. The former starts with comfortable guitar before being joined by a pretty girl voice. Masquerade is similar, and while I know the chords are different it gets a bit similar in style to the previous without much to differentiate it.

The seond CD has eight tracks, opening with The Muse. This one’s much more moving, with bright shiny guitar movements. Dolores Cafe starts poppy with guitars again, Republica on ADD medication. Sentinel is very comfortable to listen to, really, makes you in the mood to have a really nice day. It’s nice morning opener. The Gray adds a bit of fast-strumming guitar technique to the mix to pick up the pace.

I like the bass groove on Sugar. Keeps things moving at a nice clip. The girls’ vocals stay a bit lower tone here with a nice smoothness about them. The slow ballad of All But Gone is a nice close to the second demo CD.

The main problem with Sentinel is it doesn’t differentiate so much. The tracks blend together and the album will shuffle by quickly without your realizing it. The guitar movements are the same with a few brighter exceptions, the vocals are always the same, the drums are nearly boring. They certainly have the skills to make music…but there’s only a bare handful of songs that they know how to write.

Sentinel comes from the so-cal area, putting their roots close to another favorite of the shoegaze; The Autumns. These two bands represent two opposite sides of the shoegaze continuity. Whereas The Autumns have a pretentious artsy dream-pop sound, Sentinel has a very accessible alternative indie-rock sound.

Tarabud's vocals are ethereal and dreamy, but confident and strong as well. Kim Deal is as likely to come to mind as the Cocteau Twins. The guitar work has a lush sound without becoming wall of sound or droning out. Sometimes the songs are a bit too similar, and it would be nice if the vocal range were stretched a bit, but the obvious talent and skill make me think that the next album will be amazing.

Overall, this might not be the CD that will make you decide you've found your newest favorite band, but it is the one that will make you think you are hearing potentially one of the next biggest bands in the genre. I definitely wouldn't miss a show if they were in the area.

For Fans of : Shoegaze, Cocteau Twin, The Breeders, Belly
High Point : “The Muse", "Royal Way
Reviewed By : Dana


Last Updated ( Wednesday, 12 July 2006 )

Sentinel
The Singles

Single collections are great for many reasons. For fans it’s an embodiment of the landmarks of the band; for beginners it’s a good map of what to expect from previous albums in terms of style and development. And it’s for both reasons that I approach this collection. Having previously reviewed an album last year, this collection also offered me an insight into the bands past – And although there has been strong maintenance involved throughout the years – it is a history that is strong with sounds and vocal quality and breadth.

Starting with the excellently weird ‘Royal Way’, the collection works in reverse order ending way back in the late 90’s. Stand outs are ‘Umbria’ – a fast driven pop track which is swiftly followed by the much more sombre but equally enticing ‘Armour’

The album does indeed have a sense of 90’s nostalgia as it comes to its close. You can certainly see the roots as they are once you reach this part – but it is nonetheless a worthwhile trip.

This southern cali band know their brit-shoegaze history, and they play with the same ambition that the greats of the late 80's and early 90's did. Oakland based 4-piece Sentinel has caused such a stir from their live shows that they self-released this 8 song ode to all things lovely shoegaze. The female vocals definitely make it impossible to review without namedropping Lush and Cocteau Twins, but the similiarities go well beyond the vocals. Guitars throughout the record are chillingly sublime and practically float. The drums have that early 90's tone - not cheesy in any way, but very disctict and purposeful. And the vocals themselves stir clear of mimmicking, and give Sentinel their undeniable brand. The structures Sentinel play with have a deep pop base, and the dreaminess the guitar work ventures into create abstract atmospheres. I don't hear any signs of inexperience, or even the struggle to find what they are most comfortable dabbling in. This record is loaded with profound confidence, and the outcome of all 8 songs is very satisfying. The tones and textures that are used as the foundation of this album sound vintage and geniune. It's kind of like going back in time when the shoegaze movement was fresh and at its most powerful. Very, very lovely. Sentinel is a chilled Morella's Forest, the b-sides to Cocteau Twins catalog, and the pop that Velour100 never had. I highly recommend you check them out, as their invasion is inevitable. For fans of all things syrupy girlgaze. Rating 8.5

Sentinel
Sentinel (Self titled album 2004)

Sentinel’s debut album comes loaded to the rim of some pretty cool new grooves. A real indie-pop band from the 90’s Cocteau Twins and Lush variety. Tarabud's dreamy Vocals and driving Bass are complemented by Dennis Bestafka production and guitar.

‘The Muse’ gives you an overall tone of the work completed on the album and is certainly the most pop friendly tune on offer – again Tarabud's vocals and Dennis’ guitar becoming instantly recognisable. Yet ‘Delores café’ and ‘Present’ are also tracks that become easy to recognise purely by their openings. The sound of these songs are fairly similar which could cause confusion among titles, but the songs are not so repetitive as to become boring or one note.

‘Royal Way’ is probably the highlight of the album and truly exposes both artists depths – Tarabud dropping tone for the chorus and Dennis swaying further than in previous tracks. ‘Royal Way’ at times itself feels like a mad dream. ‘Weighdown’ funks the album up a notch, only then for the artists bring the tone of the album right down for a very mellow ‘All But Gone’ finale.

You may find further acoustical numbers on your CD after the main eight tracks have played out – But the concentrate on the main body of work, it is one that entertains in a joyous celebration of sound and the force that drives it. Sentinel display their passion for a certain sounds, and how they can alternate it between instant pop and thoughtful recluse.


Review by: Steven Hurst