Encouraged by the reaction of press and punters to their earlier Camera Obscura 7" "Noah's Ark" which was described by Melbourne's Inpress magazine as "an informed and doughty synthesis of 60s fuzz-pop and creative film scoring", and praised by the prestigious US organ Magnet for its "chemically altered instrumentals", Camera Obscura is pretty damn excited to present the debut full-length release by the Sand Pebbles. Their progress over the past 18 months has been salutary, and they are now at adept at both setting sail on adventurous studio explorations to the boundaries of pop and soundtrack rock, and playing engaging and memorable live shows.

The CD opens with the "My Sensation", a genuine feast for the senses that has become a widely distributed MP3 "hit", and also appears on the neo-psychedelic showcase compilation "The International League of Telepathic Explorers" on the US-based Free City Media label. FCM supremo Nick Bensen nailed it in his review notes in response to the preview copy we sent him: "Andrew Tanner's falsetto vocals and easy guitar riffing make me think of Pavement playing the Stones playing Smokey Robinson. Ben Michael X's 1979 string synth and guest Beck Zack's mellotron add a layer of sugary space. The "Do do do" harmonies after the chorus can stick in your mind indefinitely". A nervous-breakdown version of Julian Cope's "Out of My Mind on Dope and Speed" follows, background vocals like inner voices pushing the crazy-eyed narrator over the edge. Sanity is restored for the melancholy swing of "Moving To Fast", which is elevated by buzz-saw guitars, a fine Spaceman 3 influenced break, and the laser precision of Tanner's vocals. The classy "Dirty" triumphantly caps the song section of the record with some fine, almost alt.country angst. Another dimension of the Sand Pebbles is revealed through a series of memorable instrumental workouts. "The Big V" casts a wistful glance back at pre-corporatisation Aussie Rules football and, along with "The Sundowner", displays the band at their most cinematic. "Charmed" hints at possible future directions with its swirling mix of spoken word samples and electronic tinkering. "Eastern Terrace" record concludes with a reprise of "Moving Too Fast" - simply arranged for vocals, cello and brass, a "Director's Cut" version that emphasizes the band's internal dynamic of renewal and reinvention.