The Belltower had semi-associations with the early-'90s shoegazing scene, but only inasmuch as the tempos were sort of druggy, the guitars ringing and vast, and a slight sense of bliss-out was at play. What actually comes across clearest on Popdropper is that vocalist Phillips had a much stronger voice than most of the pedal-worshipping crowd, or at least was unafraid of singing more directly into the microphone. If anything, she comes across as an American equivalent of Sundays vocalist Harriet Wheeler (though lacking Wheeler's sense of lyrical detail). Co-singer Porter is more typically restrained, usually blending with the music rather than trying to be heard over it. Musically, the rhythm section is often fairly upfront, sounding like a zoned-out Cure from the Faith days, while Porter's electric guitar hangs in the background rather than forcing riffs down one's throat. His acoustic work, by comparison, is often more distinct, produced just so with soft reverb; One Dimensional is a good showcase for this, as is the tender Too Late, with piano mixed into the music as well. Often the music sounds like the contemporaneous work of Swervedriver, but it's not quite as frenetic or strong. Whether that's the production (Anjali Dutt, who engineered quite a bit for said U.K. band, does some work here as well) or just the way it all turned out is anyone's guess. House of Love/Levitation guitarist Terry Bickers produces three numbers here, doing an acceptable job but not adding anything particularly distinct. His best track is Eyes on the Time, which features a fine lead vocal by Phillips and some good, crunching guitar work by her and Porter. ~ Ned Raggett, Rovi

1		Grounded
2		In Hollow
3		One Dimensional
4		Slipstream
5		Too Late
6		Outshine the Sun
7		Solstice
8		Flight
9		Eyes on the Time
10		Plastic Man
11		Everytime

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