Maps for Sleep, 1991-1994

Inspired by the U.K.'s shoegaze movement, Arizona's Half String put out a number of EPs starting in 1991 before calling it quits shortly after the 1996 release of their underrated swan song A Fascination of Heights. Maps for Sleep 1991-1994 doesn't extend to that period, but it gathers everything else released by Kruse, Capps, Lanning, and Patterson. Essentially, this compilation is an extended version of Eclipse Oval Hue, adding the three EPs from that comp (Eclipse, Oval and Hue), with the five songs from Half String's fourth EP, Tripped Up Breathing, two four-track demos, and a live festival performance of "Saturnine" from 1993. The group's dry style of dream pop didn't evolve a lot over the years, and because the music can be a little samey (purposely), some of the bonus tracks are inconsequential. But "Hue" and "Oval" are necessary delights, making it a no-brainer to pick up the rest of Half String's back catalog on one disc, as the ultimate supplement to A Fascination of Heights. ~ Jason Lymangrover