Time Suck / Hellbent is the first vinyl EP from Richmond, Virginia’s Added Dimensions (the home recording project helmed by Sarah Everton of Blowdryer and Telepathic), following a self-released, self-titled cassette released in 2022. Sarah’s trebly/jangly guitar riffs and sneaky bass lines are backed by a charge of unfussy, driving drums from Rob Garcia, all cloaked in the perfect amount of Tascam grit, as she lyrically pares down the heavy psychic weight of modern living (the social cost of convenience and connectivity, the inane routine of labor as a means of survival, etc.) into five disarmingly hooky mini-manifestoes—even the sugar-coated melodies can’t hide the harsh truths behind lines like “every day, same as before” (“Interruption”). Wire rubbing elbows with the Shop Assistants as a C86 band? A Kim Deal-fronted Urinals? Charms you can’t resist! Our take: The title of this debut from Richmond’s Added Dimensions might give you the impression it’s a two-song single, but it actually serves up 5 tracks of the UKDIY-inspired indie/punk we expect from Domestic Departure Records. While the 4-track-ish production on Time Suck / Hellbent gives it a unified sound, the music covers a lot of ground, from the more driving and angular “Impulsive” to the Shop Assistants-y pop of “In the System” to the artier, Wire-ish “Wound Up.” (Yes, I’m using all the same comparisons as the label’s description… they’re very apt.) I particularly like when Added Dimensions’ melodies pile on top of one another, as in “Interruption” and “Compartmentalize,” which feature criss-crossing lines that intersect with one another in unexpected ways, sometimes producing interestingly dissonant harmonies. That arty sensibility combined with an uncomplicated appreciation of pop melody propels some of my favorite music ever, and that same chemistry makes Added Dimensions sound timeless and compelling.
