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Bennett
Reviews: December, 2000
Scroll
down for The Oohs and Cinerama, click
here for Doleful Lions, Rex Hobart and The Oranges
Mike Levy
Fireflies
Parasol Records
www.parasol.com
When
an artist steps out as a solo act after a distinguished tenure
in a beloved band, the struggle is whether to go off in a
totally new direction, or reassert the legacy. Former Sneetches
bassist-then-guitarist Mike Levy chose the latter direction,
and made the right choice. The Sneetches were way ahead of
the curve back in the late-80's, about the only band of its
time that drew inspiration from some of the softer sides of
60's pop, including The Zombies, The Turtles, The Beach Boys,
The Kinks, et. al. While others in the pop world eventually
caught on to this vibe, Levy shows that he has an innate feel
for this type of material, and does it as well as anyone out
there.
Levy's weapon of choice is the piano, and while ivories were
certainly tickled during the reign of Sneetchdom (especially
on my all-time fave Sneetches cut "Good Thing"), its predominance
here gives some of the songs a slight early-70's feel, notably
the restrained but bouncy "Away From My Head", which sounds
like Gilbert O' Sullivan stripped of the AM radio glaze. Some
vague jazz overtones also creep into the proceedings, most
prominently on "Take This Child Away", which features saxophone
and flugelhorn accompaniment. These new touches only add to
a performer who already had a pretty good thing going. Arguably,
the piano based approach actually improves Levy's songs.
Levy still works his average vocal range to his advantage,
with a heartfelt tone and precise phrasing. And his ability
to pen classic pop songs is evident from the get go - the
first four songs on this album are simply splendid. "Someone
Like You" counterpoints a simple piano rhythm with a wistfully
optimistic melody, augmented by Jonathan Segel (ex-Camper
Van Beethoven) and Sheila Schat on viola, cello and violin.
A slinky Rod Argent-ish keyboard blends with the sunny guitars
on "New Day". And "Too Many People There" and "Some Days"
are back-to-back hookfests - the former with a soaring chorus
and a superb use of dynamics, the latter moving from Squeeze-like
verses to 60's soft pop heaven in the refrain.
Levy teams with all of his former Sneetchmates (Alec Palao,
Daniel Swan and Matt Carges) and also gets assistance from
David Immergluck (ex-Ophelias) and Alison Faith Levy (ex-Loud
Family). The production work of Levy and Steve Savage is both
intimate and bright. Overall, this disc equals, if not betters,
the best of Levy's work with the Sneetches. Mr. Levy, please
start booking more studio time.
GRADE: A-
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The
Oohs
Ear
Candy
Oohszone Layer Records
http://hometown.aol.com/bcutril1234/theoohs.html
The Oohs have brought some California sunshine and a late-70's
light power-pop sound to Springfield, Illinois. (Rumors that
the Abraham Lincoln statue in front of the state capital building
is now wearing a skinny tie have yet to be confirmed). The
band is keyed by splendid four-part harmonies, mixing two
parts Rubinoos with one part Jellyfish for an organically
slick (or is it slickly organic?) vocal blend, Frank Huston's
creative lead guitar work and Brian Curtis's omnipresent retro
keyboard stylings.
One of the most impressive things about The Oohs is that despite
their obvious ability to dazzle, they use their flashy style
to give their frothy music more substance, and avoid the temptation
to show off. Moreover, all four Oohs write and sing lead,
and display a common sensibility that makes for a cohesive
effort. About half of the songs on this album could be slipped
into an old Rhino D.I.Y. Powerpop compilation (shades
of substituting real coffee with Folger's crystals!) and experienced
pop fans would be none the wiser.
"Victim Of The Night Time World" has one of those intros that
promises everything -- an urgent repeated guitar note traveling
in lockstep with drummer Steve Kelton and bassist Brian Cutright,
with Curtis dabbing on some keyboard flourishes - and delivers
a song that contains about four distinct melodic ideas that
could each sustain a good pop song, flowing together into
a veritable hookfest. A couple other numbers blend in a little
Cheap Trick vibe to the mix. "One 'n' The Same" reworks the
"Baby Loves To Rock" riff, while "Baby's Going Out Tonight"
is a musical cousin to "Say Goodbye" in the verses. "Placebo"
is a refreshing change of pace, with Curtis getting a little
jazzy and funky on the keys and the band following suit, laying
down a nice groove. And for those of you who missed the Burnt
Marshmallows & Teeny Bikinis compilation, the instant
classic "Summer Sun" makes an appearance here - it has a hyper-catchy
beach music chorus, and throws in an unexpected downward chord
change at the end that kills me every time I hear it.
Your
tolerance for the more sugary side of power pop will determine
whether this disc is for you. If you have a large sweet tooth,
then *Ear Candy* might just be the right flavor.
GRADE:
B
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Cinerama
This
Is Cinerama
(Spin Art)
www.spinartrecords.com
Release
Date: October 17, 2000
David Gedge is one of the most distinctive figures in the
world of indie rock. The former leader of The Wedding Present
perfected a sensitive regular guy persona, pouring out his
joys, concerns and insecurities in a half-spoken vocal style
that provided a compelling bond with his fans. Gedge comes
across as the complete opposite of the rock hero, making him
all the more heroic.
In
the Wedding Present, Gedge set both moments of frustration
and tenderness to big walls of beefy guitars. Gedge's new
band, Cinerama, moves totally to the other side of the fence.
Amped up British indie pop is out, Burt Bacharach, Philly
soul and other soft sounds are in. Some past Wedding Present
tunes may have provided early clues to this new direction
(for example, the superb "Gazebo" on the Weddos Watusi
dics), but who knew that Gedge had a lounge lizard jones?
This disc compiles Cinerama's first four singles (the band
has also released two original albums). Gedge's persona generally
translates well to the new style, except when he actually
has to sing - that just demands a bit too much. And former
Weddo Sally Murrell is a suitable foil, providing some nice
backing vocals.
Gedge, however, hasn't fully mastered the subtle nuances that
turn soft-pop from pleasant and listenable to sublime and
enduring. But there are some songs that show that he is on
the case. "Dance Girl Dance" has a beautiful string arrangement
and a dramatic Motown-worthy chorus and "King's Cross" has
a similar epic quality that contrasts nicely with Gedge's
vocals. Another winner is the dirge "Crusoe", a lament that
contains a characteristic Gedge opening, "You can't take a
sentence like that and not end it/you can't write a letter
like that and not send it."
Many of the other numbers are breezy trifles, with a bit of
wah wah guitar here (think Barry White/TSOP) and horns there
(think Herb Alpert). These stylistic devices often lay on
top of percolating grooves that are strongly reminiscent of
a slowed down New Order or Three Imaginary Boys-era
Cure, which works a lot better than you might think.
At this point, it is hard to tell if this is merely a diversion
or will turn into something as substantial as the Wedding
Present. But I'm rooting for the latter.
GRADE:
B-
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