
Photo by Richard Holt Leave it to Hello Damascus to try dampening expectations. Their latest title, "Iterative At Best," sounds more like an apology or an excuse. Iterative--meaning repetitive or reiterating--is one of the last adjectives I'd apply to this sad, gorgeous song. But then, this Portland band has always trafficked in modesty and understatement. Their 2005 album, Harvest Dolls , was a slow-blooming wonder, full of soft-spoken melancholy and quiet grandeur. That album's lead-off track, "Randy," didn't just rend hearts; it was capable of performing quadruple bypasses. [...]