CD reviews
The Summer
Obsession This is Where You Belong Virgin Records/ 2006 ♥½ |
Artwork worthy of a summer Old Navy advertisement, and a fold-open poster featuring four band members striking rock star poses — how could this not be a great CD? Oh right, sarcasm doesn’t come across in writing. The Summer Obsession are just another pop-punk band trying to jump onto the bandwagon that, quite frankly, passed a long time ago. Not only that, but the Summer Obsession don’t even try to create any sort of their own sound. At first listen, I thought that Good Charlotte had put out another CD under a new name, only to learn that the band actually has GC’s ex-drummer, who joined the band after their previous drummer quit to focus on playing drums for Sting. If somehow Good Charlotte and Simple Plan crashed together and then a piano slipped into the picture you would get This Is Where You Belong. Lyrically they’re no different than any other pop-punk
band singing about drunken fathers, school being hard, and
partying on the weekend. Nothing is better than the songs
about loving their high school sweethearts, who likely will
break their hearts, but that writes a great ballad for the
next album, right? If the bands listed earlier are what you
are into, then take a listen to the CD, you will probably enjoy
it, but personally I thought the genre was overcrowded
when Blink 182 was joined by Simple Plan, Sum 41, Good
Charlotte, etc.. Maybe there is such a thing as too much of
a good thing. Again sarcasm. |
The Pink Spiders
Teenage Graffiti Suretone Records/ 2006 ♥♥ |
My wise friend, Russ, once said that the hardest thing to write about an album is that it’s just okay. I wish he was here to help me now. The Pink Spiders fall into this grey zone of wallpaper music. They’re there but it’s just decorative, a few flowers and thrills but nothing substantial, never mind memorable. Who knew that a group of underdeveloped talents dripping with egotism and instruments could create such a drab and mediocre piece of work? They’re not living up to their potential on either side of the music scale, whether it’s a shit or a hit. One of the notable songs on this album is “Soft Smoke,” a combination of actual rock talent mixed with some kinky beats. I can actually get the sense of the ’70s revival that they were going for in other songs but never delivered. The really frustrating thing about this album is that you can hear where they want to be with their music and where they are . . . and then see the gaping hole between the two.
Don’t get me wrong though, I enjoyed this album. I just
hate seeing potential go to waste. However, with the band’s
strong sexual motif . . . I can’t help but get the impression
that I got screwed over. |
The Dears
Gang Of Losers Maple Music/ 2006 ♥♥♥♥ |
The Sisters (all dudes, by the way) were one of the surprise
hits of this year’s Winnipeg Folk Festival for both their solo
show and their performance with the Mothers of Invention.
Led by guitarist Kevin Breit, the group performed much of
the material that appears on this album and it’s satisfying to
know that the music translates from live setting to recording.
The title is not an allusion to Forrest Gump, but does give
some clue as to the content — all of the songs are Neil
Young songs. However, they’re Neil Young songs as you’ve
never heard them before: bluesy, jazzy instrumental interpretations
of Neil’s canonical work. This may sound gimmicky,
but it’s done with sincerity and skill. Opener “Southern Man” begins with a smooth Hammond organ line that is quickly augmented by distorted guitar that turns Young’s After the Gold Rush classic into a squalling rocker, while “Helpless” gets the torch-song treatment, with Breit stretching out the melody lines to the point where you might have trouble recognizing the tune. Those expecting straight-up instrumental versions of Neil material should look elsewhere, because Sisters Euclid take the originals as a jumping off point or a framework and reinterpret the material to suit their muse. This is most evident on “Harvest Moon.” Originally a soft shuffle of a country waltz, the Sisters make the song even more languid — stretching it out casually and gently. It’s beautifully executed, and, simply beautiful. Michael Elves |
