This is a very agreeable Pop Underground album. Not surprisingly, it features pleasing guitar riffs, sweeping harmonies, and a generally cheery sound even when the songs are about romantic disappointment; this is the type of band that makes lyrics like "Life's too short to waste my time on you" ("Life's Too Short") seem as convivial as "If you'll be my Louis Lane, I'll be your Superman" ("Lois Lane"). Possible influences and similar bands include the Rubinos (the album features an early 80s-sounding cover version of "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"), Supergrass, the Jagz, the Vapors, the Cars, Squeeze, Fountains of Wayne, and the usual power-pop suspects. Lyrics tend toward conventional romantic fare with the occasional display of wordplay ("We used to talk about the way we're feeling"/"Now I don't feel as though we're really talking") and unusual rhymes ("ambition"/"titian"). You also get to hear the vocalist stretch out "why," "cry," "by," "head" and "bed" to two syllables each on "Tired of Apologizing," which features some nice synthesized horns, and observe that the band truly understands the value of brevity on "Only Happy When She's Sad," a 58-second ballad about a woman in love with a man who doesn't appreciate her. The album ends with "Seventies Superstar," which features sirens and savory guitar, and a piano-driven ballad, "Goodnight God Bless," with apparently tongue-in-cheek lyrics extolling the audience to "sing along to the fade." Extremely patient listeners can stick around for several minutes before reaching the uninteresting bonus track of Casio noodling at the very end of the CD.- AMG
Removed at copyright holders request
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