Labels: Kiss of Death
Review by: Andy Malcolm
YES YES YES. This is such a good record! I am still teetering on the brink of annointing it my favourite album of 2008 so far, but it is so damn close. I can’t think of another record that I have listened to as much as this one anyway. Anyway, I knew this would be a great album from the moment the first song kicks in. The guitars careen around in a delightfully youthful fashion, with ridiculously whiney vocals wobbling away over the top, harking back to Cap’n Jazz era Kinsella without being an irritating parody, TAKE HEED Mr. Algernon Cadwallader. Actually, I think the singer sounds a lot like the guy from Mid Carson July before that band hit puberty. The music is a blast, recalling bands such as Archers of Loaf, Superchunk, or the Get Up Kids when they ripped off Superchunk. “Almost Shameless” is a spot on title for that song as the into is lifted directly from the Chunk, straight down to the singer getting his Mac voice on. And “Echo Park” half inches AoL’s guitar sound with alarming ease. Of course, the album title happily concedes that they have pilfered much of their sound from the very best of 90s indie rock, but when you end up hearing about one band a year that sounds as good this, who really gives a shit? Ok, so you could slap on Icky Mettle or Here’s Where the Strings Come In, but you’ve done that a thousand times now, so it’s time for some new blood. Each tune on this LP is a total rocker, and they manage to squeeze 10 superb songs in under half an hour. After the final track is a Dillinger 4 cover (I think?!), it must be. Someone is doing a Paddy impersonation anyway. I can’t place the song title.
Anyways, super, super album.