Having righted themselves with
Capsul,
Bailter Space followed up with the equally good
Photon EP, blasting off with "Particle Accelerator," which features Parker's raging guitar and spat vocals tumbling over Halvorsen and McLachlan's equally brawling rhythm punch. "Time Machine" aims for an even rougher sound; rarely has the term "grinding guitars" been more appropriate than it is here. "Torch" is quite skeletal for
Bailter Space; it's more like a faster version of Codeine or Spain than anything else. The fragmentary "V.43" leads into the best track on the disc, the majestic "U.H.F.," on which jangle and feedback are mixed together to create a quietly anthemic number in the grand tradition of "X" or "Shine." "Noch Ein Raum Spatzel Bitte" and "Flashback" give the band a chance to further explore massive amp blowouts, with Parker coaxing some truly amazing roars out of his guitar, while the title track closes things out with a taut, energetic romp along the same lines, but with an extra focus and crispness of sound. More than a time killer,
Photon shows
Bailter Space still possessed of rude, vital health. ~ Ned Raggett