Baltimore's Time Longer Than Rope know exactly how to get someone's attention, and I'm not even primarily talking about the music, here. They printed their brief one-sheet on wax paper, then name-dropped standards like "Jesus Lizard, Black Flag, early Pink Floyd, and Slint."

Honestly, the middle two of those don't have a whole heaping of obvious influence on the band's four-song Referents EP, but elements of the former and latter shine through in great ways. Referents sounds purely like the early `90s definition of post-rock -- drifting, downtuned, more punk-slanted and with an eerie, otherworldly feel.

It's like a mild discordance that's spread out so it's easier to take and more interesting to listen as it unfolds. Vocally, the band speak or distortedly shout in stunted phrases ("Crave your safety. / Complete / control." -- opener "The Infidel") over the musical movement that give more tension to the instrumentals hovering and building. The band even admit, "the lyrics are not 'about' anything per se, but imbue the music with an undeniable emotional weight." While I wouldn't go that far, it does serve the songs a more ethereal and tripped-out purpose.

"Mono Diablo" bears some of the more impressive moments, with efficient use of seriously fuzzed-out keyboard, downtrodden vocals and distinct riffs that seem to antagonize each other. 10-minute closer "You're on the Air" could best be described as "roaming."

If you know who Blank is, they have ex-members here. I have no idea who Blank is, but I get the feeling Time Longer Than Rope is worth checking out if you liked them. And if not, still...

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Shape of the World
Mono Diablo