First off, I have to say this features some of the most original packaging I ever saw! A piece of yellow card that is ‘sellotaped’ together using a page of a dictionary. I got page 15. The vinyl is clear, and one of the labels is designed like those old ‘viewfinder’ type things. You know? Where you have a circle with lots of photos on, and you put it in the thing, and you click the button, and it spins it around, and you see more of these photos? No? You don’t know what the hell I mean? I’m not surprised.
What about the music, well, it’s that midwestern jangly, poppy emo punk that the likes of Cap’n Jazz and Friction pioneered. The difference being, Spirit of St. Loo have the most bored sounding vocalist OF ALL TIME. Sure, Timmy was off key, and this guy is off key too, but he goes “What can save us now?” on the chorus, and just sounds disinterested. I can totally see why the backing guy just yells something out of nowhere, he was getting frustrated. Best track is the last one, “Different Circus, Same Clowns” which is just a fun, raging emo rock number with hollered vocals.
The music is definitely good, the shouting is spot on (especially the echoes used on “Beancounter”), and they use samples nicely. The one about surfing on side b is hilarious. But the singer? It’s just too weird, he must know he can’t sing. Yet he persists…
As I said, great emo rock music, can’t abide the singer. Grrr.