Hovercraft formed in Seattle right around the time the definition of "grunge" became more than just that crusty stuff under the kitchen sink. They started making music that was more influenced by Sonic Youth and Swans than by Nirvana and Mudhoney. Maybe they were already tired of the scene. Maybe they wanted to try out new stuff. Maybe founding member Beth Liebling wanted a balance between the music she and her husband Eddie Vedder make.

Whatever the case, Akathisia, the band's first full- length record, is avant garde at its its most cinematic. These tracks sound straight out of a lost '60s arthouse flick, filmed entirely in the dark with only a flashlight on the film's subjects. It's not a remarkably listenable piece of work, but there are certainly some moments that draw you in. Particularily the gradual building of "Angular Momentum" and the sonic noize burst that opens "De-Orbit Burn."

With less experimentation and a little more focus on melody, Hovercraft could become one of the most innovative bands in the history of dream- pop. Until then they'll remain just another post- rock band in an endless sea of post- rock bands.

-Ryan Schreiber