story by Cliff Berru

With the recent madness from the election results and unfortunate location of the murder of one of heavy metal's most influential guitarists, the state of Ohio doesn't appear to be too progressively inviting these days. Yet a Columbus-bred quartet known as The Cinema Eye may offer some redeeming qualities to this most infamous of red states, redirecting the focus toward the arts. Their music expresses an ambitiously malignant approach toward rock - rock music with encrypted rationale, layered in emotional obscurity.

The Cinema Eye produces a sound synthesized in electronic theory, but existing within a broader unyielding rock and roll purpose. It is all the more fitting, then, to understand the metamorphosis of the current members from "this electronic thing we didn't really even have a name for," as vocalist/keyboardist Mollie Wells anxiously expressed during a chat with Chicago Innerview, to "an unbelievably happy accident…where there is never a moment lacking chemistry."

The Cinema Eye is an inextinguishable fire. A fire unaffected by elements from the external world because "out of ashes rises the Phoenix," explains Wells while commenting on the collective ambition of the rock band. "Our first tour was set nearly a week after our first drummer left the band….but there was never a moment where it felt like it wouldn't work once David [Fowler] and Paul [Rentler] joined the band."

WELLS' INNER VIEW "...a lot of it on this record ended up being discontentment, desperation, fear, wanting things you can't have, and being afraid to want things you can't really have."

Interestingly enough, Fowler (drums) and Rentler (guitar) are the combined members of the two-piece electronic rock band Audion, of which the two remaining members of The Cinema Eye are "eclipsed and enveloped with," as Wells explains. For the most convenient of tours, it is not uncommon to find both "bands" touring together.

For now, "we are babies on the bottom run of the ladder…but at least we are on the ladder." This "ladder" looks promising after only two short years together - involving successful tours with Pretty Make Graves, Radio Berlin, An Albatross, a couple sold-out 2004 SXSW showcases with fellow Sound-Virus label-mates Blood Brothers and Pretty Girl Make Graves, and most importantly, the relentless beauty of their first proper full length, Some Nerve.

As a front-woman, Wells offers great depth through the poignant beauty of her vocals. These lingering vocals possess a sound that challenges all the instrumental notes in a war of perpetuity, while faithfully agreeing on overall tempo. It is also here where Wells exhibits great strength in her resonance, offering intense emotional interpretation of each track on the album. It's a record that "captured a lot that we were all feeling," explains Wells. "The meanings of the songs are rather loose…and a lot of it on this record ended up being discontentment, desperation, fear, wanting things you can't have, and being afraid to want things you can't really have."

Although some lyrics sound particularly angry, don't confuse Wells for a "riot grrrl." The music is a product of its environment, which at the time of its creation was absorbed in difficulty. You can hear that same burden through the glassy guitar riffs, poisonous keyboard licks, and destructive drumbeats. The music is a product of its environment, engulfed in impenetrability. One would hope though, with the continued success of The Cinema Eye, that the music somehow retains its inherent darkness and misfortune. After all, isn't that what touring is for?

The Cinema Eye :: with An Albatross :: Bottom Lounge :: January 28.