This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
With a handle like Ambulance Ltd., you might expect everything to be a matter of urgency with these Brooklyn rockers. Not so.
If anything, this quartet display a measured and methodical approach on their unimaginitively titled debut CD LP. Obviously taken with the reverb-soaked ambiance and dreamy guitar swirls of British shoegazers like My Bloody Valentine and Ride, Ambulance Ltd. craft much of their music for maximum hypnotic effect, with low-impact grooves, neo-psychedelic textures and circular tunes that double back on themselves. But they also explore other areas of the musical landscape on these dozen cuts. The melodicism of The Beatles and Kinks, the decadent ennui of The Velvet Undergound, the angular angst of Television, the spaced-out glory of Spiritualized, the noise stylings of Sonic Youth and even the somber beauty of Elliott Smith all come into play here. And as Ambulance Ltd. mix, match and merge their various influences and sources, they create their own unique sonic identity — along with more than a few hooky choruses to boot. These guys are obviously going places; look out for ambulance chasers.
