Mayflies U.S.A.: The Pity List
(Yep Roc)

I wish I had received this at the beginning
of the summer, because it's just begging
to be played in a convertible with the to
down. The vocals drip with high-toned
longing, the drums speed up and slow down
like a carnival thrill ride, and it's all covered
with a fuzzy blanket of guitars. As soon as
"Tuesday Weld in Lagerfeld" is name-dropped
in "Sodium Pentothal" I'm sipping Campari
and soda, wearing a fabulous sweater-set,
and sniffing the corsage I received from the
boy I met the night before. Although "The Pity
List" is thoroughly modern, it still evokes
summer records of the past with Eagles-style
harmonies or a Big Star chord progression.
Chris Stamey does production honors as he
did on 1999's "Summertown" but he gets a
different sound this time. A little less wistful,
a little more bitter, a lot more grown-up.

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