Though the band members were barely out of high school when they recorded
Sex Vehicle,
Motorhome had already coalesced enough to create its own signature sound by combining the drone rock of
Helium and
Lush with the "wall of guitars" production aesthetic of the Smashing Pumpkins. These 19 songs run the gamut from the grinding should-be hit "Superstar" to the jangle pop of "Dishwash" to "On Fire," a song dripping with so many different guitar parts, it seems like something out of Doug Martsch's dreams. Like Ultimate Alternative Wavers (the debut of Martsch's band
Built to Spill),
Sex Vehicle may come across as murky and repetitive at times, though above all it is a self-assured debut that sets the stage for the band's excellent later work. ~ Ari Wiznitzer