Portico Shape To Form. Release Date : November 22, 2005. Label: Hinge Records. Rating: Andy doesn't dig rating stuff. Does it seem to anyone else that every indie band has a guitar sound not unlike Modest Mouse these days? That sort of simple twangy, lightly-awkward sounding thing. A quality they were honing and working with for years before anyone noticed or cared is now the indie band norm. I love Modest Mouse so I really don't have a big problem with this. I guess it's just the indie sound of today or something. Portico features this exact guitar sound on parts of their record, Shape To Form. Simple, honest female vocals whisper gently thoughout. It's an accessible album for today's city-dwelling art students and baristas. It feels folky and earthy and quietly powerful. The music is soft and slow, the songs don't vary all that much. That might be my major nit with it, but if you're looking for ambient music and don't want any crrrrrazy surprises, this will do it. Love the low-fi intro to "Ryan, You Said To Much." Song of choice : Favourite seems to be "This Guitar." Lyn Heinemann's voice is particularly trill and heartfelt in this one. -Andy Scheffler Elsewhere Portico website Published : March, 2006.