Returning to music after a three- year hiatus, Seam sounds both revitalized and bewildered on The Pace Is Glacial, confidently picking up where they left off but unsure what to do next. To be sure, they're still the same old Seam, relying on their old formula of pretty guitar chimes, dense yet dreamy distortion, whispery vocals, and very deliberately paced songs ("glacial," in my opinion, is a bit of a misnomer). However, on The Pace Is Glacial they aren't sure whether to turn the volume up and kick out the jams or keep it slow and quiet, and as a result, the album suffers.

I can't help but think of Zeno's paradox when I listen to The Pace Is Glacial. At least, I think it's called Zeno's paradox. It's the one about the guy running a mile- long footrace and noting that he must pass an infinity of halfway points before reaching the finish line, making it theoretically impossible to actually finish the race. The Pace Is Glacial is like that hypothetical footrace in the sense that it starts off strong, makes some headway into familiar and enjoyable territory, but drags on for too long at the end. Three of the first four tracks-- "Little Chang, Big City," "Get Higher," and "Intifada Driving School"-- are surprisingly fierce rockers that pack big hooks. When the mellower songs like "Kanawha" kick in, they initially provide a pleasant contrast, but they wear out their welcome with overly long running times (the last three tracks exceed five minutes each, and seem even longer).

Seam have never been stronger in terms of songwriting or lyrics, but the more memorable moments of The Pace Is Glacial get lost in the shuffle of self- indulgent experiments. "Nisei Fight Song" is the primary culprit, a seven- minute slog in the middle of the album that could have easily been chopped in half. "In The Sun" is a bad Shellac imitation that sounds sorely out of place. And "Wig" is the first instance of blatant filler ever on a Seam album-- not a good sign. Had the band shortened the longer tracks and resequenced the songs, The Pace Is Glacial would have been a much better album; as it is, it's decent, albeit a bit of a letdown.

-Nick Mirov