Scroll down for review of The Bigger Lovers

Girls Say Yes
to boys who say NO
(The Paisley Pop Label)

www.girlssayyes.com

Released April 24,2001

It's All About Musical Chemistry

It's hard not to be impressed with the "supergroup" line-up of musicians that lent their talent in the making of Girls Say Yes's "to boys who say NO". I was so impressed that I went into one of my frothing at the mouth numbers when I got the record. But let's ignore that a minute anyway, and put credit where it's due. This is Jim Huie's record. For those who don't know, and I didn't, he's a drummer who's paid his debts drumming for the likes of Jim Carroll (!---can't imagine if that'd be strange or not) and Bobby Sutliff. He's also an astute writer of pop music, as this album bears out.

Fans of No Depression and/or the heyday of "college" radio are going to go bonkers for Girls Say Yes and their record, I'd bet money on it. Jangly most times, and broadly varied from song to song, it offers hooks in plenty of places, especially on tracks like "You and the Devil" and "She Married a Loser", the latter song being so humorous and clever that it conjured up the likes of David Lowery for me. Still, the standout tracks are the opener "In Another Life", all distorted, watery vocals and Eastern philosophy-coated mysticism, and "Beckon", which features a female lead vocal by one Shandeen, which should dig into anyone's mind and implant itself there. If you like Sam Phillips, you'll likely love this tune.

Huie is, for the bulk of the album, a poetic lyricist, and did a great job picking others to sing some of his tunes. It adds depth to the record without detracting.

But still, it's the musicianship and tight arrangements that keep this record on the plane to first-rate, top-notch indie heaven. Not wanting to keep on and on about the "supergroup" Huie assembled here (and which other press have hammered about relentlessly) is difficult. After all, it's not an everyday occurrence that someone has the likes of Mitch Easter, Bobby Sutliff and Steve Almaas playing on his record. I think that says it all: if he wasn't offering quality material, would Huie have been able to recruit this lot, not to mention the handful of other great musicians who turn up? As a band---as a musical entity--- they simply exhibit great chemistry

Highly recommended musical entertainment for fans of cerebral, jangling, alt.country who have a penchant for rootsy indie rock.

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The Bigger Lovers
How I Learned to Stop Worrying
(Black Dog Records)

www.blackdogrecords.com
www.thebiggerlovers.com

Released March 13, 2001

What It's Like to Be Addicted to Sugar-Coated Crunch

Oh man, did I ever blow a gasket when I got this CD from Philadelphia's four-piece The Bigger Lovers. Named after a band member's cat. Who is indignantly exposed for all the world to see, indelicately splayed on the inside of the CD's case.

Anyway, I thought I was maybe catching a glimpse of the power pop promised land, 'cept I knew I hadn't died recently. I did practically start drooling on my steering wheel, if that counts for anything.

Perfectly balanced sugar and crunch always make for a tasty musical snack, and this has got both in abundance, and loadsa hooks holding it together. "I'm Here" and "Forever Is Not So Long" are very reminiscent of great '60s and early '70s pop we grew up hearing on the AM radio. "Casual Friday" is simply heartbreaking, it's so good.

Nice three part harmonies all around, some organ thrown in here and there, some handclaps tossed around and the occasional and not inappropriate appearance of a pedal steel. What is the deal these days with steel guitars on pop records? I notice, having grown up on cheesy country and western (that's what it was in those days---a completely different breed than the country we hear now. I'm talkin' Hee-Haw and Porter Wagner back to back, but I'm off on some irrelevant tangent yet again) that adding pedal steel to a song will do one of two things: it'll turn a tune to a lonesome cattle herding cry, or make a song sound like the dying embers of a Hawaiian luau. In this instance, as exemplified by "America Undercover" and the record's closer "Out of Sight", it's more the latter. Oh, and it jangles and chimes in all the right places, too. In case anyone is curious about that.

Imagine what you'd get by mixing a nice crunchin' power pop band like the Posies with the Beach Boys, and you'll have an almost adequate notion of what we've got here.

I'll be playing How I Learned to Stop Worrying all summer. I've already been playing it to death. This is my first pick of 2001 as one of those records I have a weird love affair with---you know, where I drag the CD around with me, and sleep with it and all that kinda kinky stuff I do when I fall really hard for an album. Oh yes, I have found proof yet again that no mere mortal man can ever take the place of a great recording. They could call their next record The Bigger Lovers Make Your Boyfriend Obsolete. DAMN! THIS IS A GREAT POWER POP RECORD.

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