Not bad, but not great. These lads were hard to peg from any angle. A few times Spoon came to mind, but I always pull out Spoon when I'm looking for an easy comparison (and I'm usually right). Something tells me these five guys from Providence don't listen to Britt very much. Judging by the vocals, which at times were run through a synth a la Mr. Roboto Styx, maybe ELO, though their melodies are much too arch for that comparison. Upon reflection, they came off sloppy, but that's more likely because they don't mix well. Sometimes all I could hear was the bass -- good thing the bassist (who looked like he should be in school) knew what he was doing. More often the mix of guitar/Rentals-style keyboards/moaning vocals/(too light) drums formed a cacophony of noise with a melody sort of running through it. I blame their age, though they've already accomplished a lot just getting on Secretly Canadian and recording at Tiny Telephone (John Vanderslice's crib) with Jay Pellicci (Deerhoof, Erase Errata). The glimpses at their new EP were promising. If they keep it together and smooth out their sound, they could go places. Especially considering their stage charm. They managed to be downright cordial considering there was only about 25 people in attendance.

What else... How 'bout a quick CD review?

More CD reviews to come. Promise.

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