Straitjacket Fits - Hail

Name: Straitjacket Fits

Album: Hail

Year: 1988

Style: Alternative, Jangle Pop

Similar Bands:Mighty Lemon Drops, Dillon Fence, Trashcan Sinatras, Teenage Fanclub, Flowerhead, The Chills, The Clean, Superchunk, Game Theory,

One Word Review: Tedious Jangley Melodies

Based Out Of: Dunedin, New Zealand

Label: Flying Nun Records, Rough Trade

Tape, Cover

Tape

Hail (1988)

1. Dialing A Prayer 3:53
2. All That That Brings 4:17
3. Hail 4:05
4. Sparkle That Shines 3:57
5. She Speeds 4:05/
6. So Long, Marianne 3:59 (Leonard Cohen cover)
7. Grate 3:18
8. Fabulous Things 3:38
9. Live in One Chord 3:10
10. This Taste Delight 4:21

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:
Terry Moore - Producer, Engineer (The Chills)
David Wood - Bass (Swamp Thing, Teens, Your Demise, Julian Lennon, Working With Walt, The Cruxshadows)
John Collie - Drums, Percussion (Doublehappys, The Weeds)
Andrew Brough - Guitar, Keys (The Orange, Bike, Mink, Blue Meanies)
Shayne Carter - Guitar, Vox, Keys (Bored Games, Dimmer, Lame & Sorry, TheAdults, Doublehappys, Weeds, The Chills, Bic Runga, Tha Feelstyle, Die! Die! Die! Peter Jefferies, Alistar Galbraith)
Jan Hellreigel - Backing Vox (Working With Walt, Cassandras Ears, The Verlaines, Push Push, Mutton Birds,

Unknown-ness: I heard of this band back in the early 90's, but didn't really know what I was buying when I got this tape for 20 cents. To this day, I can't recall their sound. I want to say that this is Americana alt-folk, and from the cover art, I would assume they are like Let's Active. Or perhaps it will be fuzzy & buzzy with feedback and a general muddled, alternative, slacker, wall-of-sound production, like My Bloody Valentine or early Smashing Pumpkins.

Album Review: Straitjacket Fits were a very popular band in their home country of New Zealand (Dunedin). Exporting their music and tour seemed like it would help them take off internationally, but they never gained the popularity in the US at least. Typical of the alternative era, if only a few years early, they combine psych dream pop with fuzzy, organic over-production, reminding me a little of early Superchunk. The two battling creative forces of Carter (brash, hard) & Brough (similar to Ian Broudie/Lightning Seeds) brought balance to this record, but was too much for Brough who bowed out after they were done touring for their second album. Carter kept the band going a couple more albums, and a move to California, but were done by 1994. Like most bands, they have done a few reunions (but all without Brough) and were inducted in the NZ music hall of fame, with "She Speeds" being rated the #9 NZ song of all time. Wood passed in 2010, and Brough passed in 2020

“Dialing A Prayer” starts with an urgent guitar and swaying bass line. The swaying nature takes over, and the boozy, wobbling melody takes the lead. Nasally, raucous vocals are added with a juvenile confidence. The song feels like a waltz, ready to topple over at any moment. The small hook in the title phrase chorus is catchy, but it is buried beneath a lot of fuzzy production
“All That That Brings” starts out simply with some jangly guitars and a soaring John Easdale-like vocal. The song feels kind of the same as the opening track, but it feels like it is trying to get somewhere that it can never reach, or chooses not to reach. It just meanders in jangly territory with half melodies and sleepy production.
“Hail” follows a dark jangly loop at the beginning. The vocals are layered in harmony, but the melodies are tedious and don’t really build anywhere. They just kind of exist in a free flowing format without a roadmap to guide the song.
“Sparkle That Shines” has a head nodding tempo built on shuffling chords and percussion. The vocals tap into a little psych-brit-pop sensibility. Still, the song is very jangly, and feels like it is overdubbed with a hundred layers of instruments.
“She Speeds” was a single, and ranked #9 in one poll of the top 100 NZ songs. The jangly guitar is shrouded in fuzz, as a delicate melody is introduced. Vocals slowly glide over the growing song, with an echo that is again, slightly psychedelic. After the first chorus, the song feels like it is going to go into a new direction, but it quickly dies down, preferring the initial verse. But there are lasts of vocal sections, playing intermittently with quiet, melancholy whiny vocal sections. There is a small section of the chorus that is catchy, but there is too much distraction to maintain quality interest.

“So Long, Marianne” is a Leonard Cohen cover. It begins with a layered acoustic guitar and side to side sway of a light, care free nature. The backing vocals are female, by a guest musician, and there is a certain Christmas-y vibe to the choral production.
“Grate” begins with a buzzy guitar alarm sound, and a deep, dark bass line. The whispy vocals add the slightest of change to the song, which might as well be an grueling, driving instrumental with vocals added as a second thought.
“Fabulous Things” has a meandering guitar over a new age/renaissance style guitar, and a minstrel percussive tempo. The vocals are sullen and reserved. But again, the song is pretty one dimentional. It doesn’t change or offer alternate atmosphere than a slow, down trodden stotyline with hints of bright strings in the background.
“Live in One Chord” is all fuzz and chaos in the beginning. What sounds like a drum machine propels the song into a driving, buzzing glam pop song. The song winds down slowly after a wall of buzzing sound carries the song to the end.
“This Taste Delight” is a quiet song at the beginning with mosquito buzzing effects and a tedious melody that is not that fun to follow. Acoustic guitars set the pace over haunting moans and creeking effects in the background. It grows, and the sections seem to come together following a steady tempo but still doing their own thing. The instruments stop, allowing the vocals to act out the remaining few notes of the album.

Stand Out Track: Sparkle That Shines

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Under the Radar, NZ

Mi Sex - Computer Games~ & Space Race*

Name: Mi-Sex
Albums: Computer Games~, Space Race*
Year: 1980~*
Style: New Wave
Similar Bands: Ultravox, Men Without Hats, Yes, Ween, Split Enz, Clash, Buzzcocks
One Word Review: Power Synth Fiction
Based Out Of: Hamilton, New Zealand
Label: Epic, CBS, CBS Records

 Computer Games - Cover, Sleeve, Record

 Computer Games - Back, Sleeve, Record

Space Race - Cover, Sleeve, Record

Space Race - Back, Sleeve, Record

Computer Games (1979/1980)~

1. Computer Games 3:55
2. Graffiti Crimes 3:49
3. Wot Do You Want 2:55
4. Not Such A Bad Boy 2:43
5. Stills 5:50/
6. But You Don't Care 3:58
7. A Loser 2:55
8. 21-20 3:15
9. Camera Kazi 5:28
10. Inside You 3:18

Space Race (1980)*

1. Space Race 3:44
2. Pages and Matches 2:30
3. Living in September 2:41
4. I Don't Know 2:27
5. Slippin' Out 3:08
6. It Only Hurts When I'm Laughing 4:14/
7. People 3:49
8. Good Guys Always Win (Satire) 3:17
9. Ghosts 3:42
10. Burning Up 3:35
11. Ice Cold Dead 4:16

Album Rating (1-10): ~8.0
*8.5

Members & Other Bands:
Steve Gilpin - Vox (Father Thyme, Fragments of Time, Under Rapz)
Kevin Stanton - Guitar, Vox (Fragments of Time, Die Laughing)
Don Martin - Bass, Vox (Fragments of Time, Bird Sisters, Yazbek, Brian Jackson, Kingdom Heirs, The Caroling Company, )
Murray Burns - Keys, Vox (Rockmelons, Rob Hirst & Ghostwriters, Joel Gion, Olivia Newton John, Basil Poledouris, The Angels)
Richard Hodgkinson - Drums, Guitar
Peter Dawkins - Producer
Dave Marett - Engineer
Janet Perr - Front Cover Design~
Paula Scher - Front Cover Design~
Arnold Rosenberg - Cover Photo~
Greg Penniket - Back Cover Photo~
John Sayers - Engineer*
Joe Barbario - Mix Engineer*
Bobby Gordon - Second Engineer*
Jack Skinner - Mastering*
Graeme Weber - Photography*
Ian McCausland - Cover Art*
Bob Yates - Management*

Unknown-ness: I had never heard of this band. I remember buying both records at the same time in a dollar bin in Austin a few years back. The major appeal was the name, coupled with the album title and art work of Computer Games. I thought that this had to be some super electronic, new wavey band with lots of bips and bops and catchy synth melodies. Had I just seen Space Race, I would not have had the same premonition, nor would I have probably bought the albums. But the albums had to come together. What if one was really good, and then I would have missed out not having their other album?

Album Review: So the first album was actually released in 1979 as Graffiti Crimes in Australia, and then retitled Computer Games after the single with the same name became more a hit. The band was pushed in the direction they eventually embraced to be used as an example to their then label, EMI’s, new sound. One of their biggest stories was political in nature, where their album sales were taxed at 40% by the then Prime Minister due to Mi-Sex being “one of those horrible pop groups” that was not cultural.

“Computer Games” became a #1 hit song in Australia in 1979 (#2 in Canada), and before the album was released in the US the album name was changed to reflect the popular song. It starts with a Kraftwerk / Men Without Hats pulsing synth line, and adds on an echoing carnival-ish power pop guitar hook. It is a driving, hiccupping song, with urgent vocals, actually sounding a little like Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” in the chorus. The power guitar chords take away from the sterile element of the synth beat, and they tend to meander in the instrumental. But it is still a solid danceable song with some oddball vocal yips.

“Graffiti Crimes” was the original title track before the opening song gained popularity. After a calm cold open, the guitars and drum kick right in for a driving power-pop new wave tune. The vocals owe a lot to snotty punk rock in their delivery. The bridge into the chorus is a fantastic power pop hook, but it is not capitalized upon with a chorus of the same melody. At the end of the song, the chorus repeats in the background while dialogue is spoken over top, somewhat angry punkish, with fits of laughter at the end.

“Wot Do You Want” is a pub rock song, with an urgent piano/keyboard beating into the background. The vocals have an aggressive energy about them, and the chorus is mostly just a smooth, soaring synth hook. The end of the song is the power-pub rock hook & piano building with a combination of harmonized chorus and lead vocals chanting the title over and over.
“Not Such A Bad Boy” is a punk-like guitar played a note at a time (like Gang Of Four) but then a progressive, Yes-like keyboard is brought in, as if to prove that the punk style is not the defining style, and the singer is not such a bad boy, as the title suggests. The chorus is made up of a queen-like call and response between the lead singer and chorus of harmonized vocals. The instrumental is rocking out electric guitars, and the song reverts right back into the power pop verse, which is quickly replaced with the Prog keyboard melodies.

“Stills” starts off with a three chord progression on guitar. Then an electric guitar playes a Steve Bartek-like melody over top of the song. The vocals are spoken during the verse, and only find melody by the time the chorus hits. The song turns into a spacey-new age Ween song with a transition to a slow motion head bang for a couple measures before changing back to the mystical verse. This song is going in many directions in turn, and it makes for a jarringly chaotic song, tied together with the thinnest melody. The long song continues in prog-rock style, clocking in with some heavy guitar at the end to finish off very thematically.

“But You Don't Care” was a single. It is a twinkling synth song, sung with the dream of being a metal hair band. Heavy chords carry the intro. The song then begins with soaring vocals that don’t quite match the combination synth and power rock melody. It is a hero’s montage theme song, one where the hero loses all ties and responsibilities and just does what he wants.

“A Loser” begins with a dark chord progression, then turns into a driving bass stomp. The vocals hop along with the bouncy tempo. But once it gets to the chorus, it takes on a swirling Led/Sabbath slow-down. It transitions back and forth between the two paces, throwing in an electric guitar solo over the instrumental breakdown.

“21-20” starts off with more classic prog rock keyboard intro, and then it snakes into a more sinister melody with a Clash-like guitar & bass combination as the vocals begin. But the chorus hook is very clean and catchy. It is simple and has a great power-pop delivery after a solid bridge from the verse. The chorus alone makes this song.

“Camera Kazi” begins with balladeer formula of a strummed acoustic and fanciful vocals. The synth  trickles in for a moment, and power pop chords combined with power vocals, and this rock operatic song comes together by the chorus. A introspective storyteller begins with dialogue over the pumping bass in a very medieval style. Soaring sound effects pepper the song as an old radio show uses metal or glass to stand for wind or an accident.  This story-song also picks up different stylistic sections that bring with them a different emotion that supports the lyrical progression. And it ends with an extro of the same balladeer’s performance.

“Inside You” takes us back to a straight forward guitar rock song. A stair stepping, twinkling synth is added, and the vocals invoke a charging march-tempo. Cheesy whistling sci-fi space melodies are used to enhance the robotic themes as the vocals are distorted slightly through a tinny echoing chamber.

“Space Race” was a single. It starts the album with a zoob tube filling up, and then some guitar chords and another dark, sinister hook that is slightly black metal. The production is bombastic and still quite theatrical, exaggerating emotion. One guitar section reminds me of Metallica’s “Unforgiven.” I’m guessing this song painted an outsider’s view of the US-Russian race for space domination, as it ends with a marching drum beat that quietly fades out.

“Pages and Matches” begins with an electric guitar hook that reminds me of modern bands like the Killers. The song has a back and forth playful melody, with a bit of a horror/Halloween quality in the bass & synth section. I like the instrumental four chord chorus.

“Living in September” rings in with a Christmassy synth section, and then drives straight ahead once the drums and guitars kick in. It has a punk ideology with the way the vocals are delivered and the supporting music follows along.

“I Don't Know” follows along the ska-side of the punk aesthetic with a funky bass line and 2-beat guitar melody. The chorus takes more of a prog-metal turn in melody alone.

“Slippin' Out” is a straight up new wave song with the synth sound mixing perfectly with the guitar and drum beat. The catchy hook that follows the chorus, which also introduced the song is very familiar.

“It Only Hurts When I'm Laughing” was a single. A heart beat pulse and chugging guitar kick off the song quietly as the song creeps in. It is building to something, and after a couple of verses in the tense holding pattern, the vocals take off emotionally for two syllables, but the song fails to follow. Instead the guitar soars, and the song maintains the slow pulse. For a glimmer of a moment, the music speeds up void of vocals, but it returns to the quiet melody. The second time around, the verse gains some emotion and the guitars pick up. Everything merges together on cue this round, and the song shuffles ahead on trilling synth sections and the continued singular bouncy bass notes. But the heart beat intro also takes us out of the song.

“People” was a good charting single from this album. It possesses whistling, space-effects for the intro, and it becomes an angular new wave song by the time it hits the chorus. After two sections, the breakdown is a memory inducing soaring guitar section with spoken work snippets sampled overtop. This bleeds back into the angular chorus, which continues through to the end of the song. Eventually the chorus of vocals is mixed down, and the synth and drums come to the forefront.

“Good Guys Always Win (Satire)” is another 80’s futuristic sci-fi b-movie theme song with the synth and theatrical melody. At one point, the instruments are stripped away leaving the bopping piano melody the only accompaniment to the vocals. After a couple of measures, the instruments come back in for support.

“Ghosts” starts with cold-yet-positive synth and more Clash-like guitar. And a bit of a Jam-like melody. With all of those positive elements, the song does not hold its place as an honorable collaboration. The song itself is silly, featuring dialogue like “what kind of ghost did you see?” There is a bit of urgency in the tempo of the song. The end of the song has more dialogue spoken over the music.

“Burning Up” starts with a straight forward, quick tempo-ed bass metronomic beat. A ziggy synth is overlaid, with a crisp guitar mixed down, which becomes more fuzzed out as the song progresses. The synth line is pretty catchy. The vocals would benefit to have a female voice as the lead.  

“Ice Cold Dead” creates the perfect image for the beginning of the song, as it is a cold, sterile beginning. The song feels like it is going to build into something fast and strong, but the prog chorus chooses a different, bolder, anthemic direction. The verse is driving and the synth is steady, paralleling the beat with a interweaving melody. The second trip through the chorus finds more energy. The spoken vocals over the instrumental chorus remind me of Adam Ant. This prog song with time changes and pace intensities feels like it would have been more at home on the first record, as its diversity was underrepresented here. 

Stand Out Track: ~ Computer Games & 21-20
*Living In September

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Hot Shots Digital - Gilpin

Zaine Griff - Ashes and Diamonds

Name: Zaine Griff
Album: Ashes and Diamonds
Year: 1980
Style: New Wave / Power Pop
Similar Bands: The A's, The Cars, Split Enz, Thomas Dolby
"One-Word" Review: Creepy New Wave
Based Out Of: Auckland, New Zealand
Label: Warner Bros.

Ashes and Diamonds - Cover & Record

Ashes and Diamonds - Back & Record

Ashes and Diamonds (1980)

1. Tonight 3:11
2. Run 2:59
3. Ashes and Diamonds 4:42
4. Secret Pleasure 3:14
5. She's My Man 3:10
6. Things You Saw 3:02 /
7. The Scandinavian 5:00
8. Orient3:58
9. The Iron Curtain 4:12
10. A Cigarette Aprea L'Amour 3:45
11. The Sentimentalists 3:56

Album Rating (1-10): 8.0

Members & Other Bands:

Zaine Griff - Vox, Synthesizers, Mixing, Cover Concept (Human Instinct, Baby Face, Screemer, Helden, David Bowie, The Kinks)

Hans Zimmer - Keyboards, Computers (soundtracks: Lion King, Gladiator, Crimson Tide, Dark Knight, Inception, 12 Years a Slave)

Tony Visconti - Bass, Percussion, Vox, Producer, Mixing, Engineer (David Bowie)

Steve Bolton - Guitars (Atomic Rooster, Paul Young)

Andrew Clark - Keyboards (Bee-Bop Delux, Judie Tzuke, Bill Nelson, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears)

Andy Duncan - Drums (Boomtown Rats, Pet Shop Boys, Wham/George Michael, Robbie Williams)
Brian Robertson - Guitars (Thin Lizzy, Motorhead)
Ray Henriksen - Engineer
Chris Birkett - Engineer
Graham Myer - Engineer
Chalkie Davies - Photography
Chess Creative Services - Design & Artwork

Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of this artist, but based on the year (1980) and the photo on the cover, it seems like it will be some variation of New Wave. Thin face, glowing backlights, thin tie, slightly alien expression all seem like it wil be a solid album with keyboards, and perhaps power pop (by his hair alone). It has potential to be good, yet, since I had not heard of him, it could have failed miserably.

Album Review: This album features and was produced by long time Bowie producer Tony Visconti. Thanks to Visconti, Griff has played with Bowie on a couple of alternate tracks that were compiled as bonus tracks on a rerelease of Scary Monsters. Also of note, Hans Zimmer, of much film soundtrack fame plays on this album, although there is no real hint of The Lion King in the synthesizers here.

“Tonight” starts with a synthesizer, and new wave jitter-ness. The song just bounces and trills with a variety of synth effects. The vocals are energetic and exaggerated, reminding me of Richard Bush of The A’s. The combination of the electric guitar and the bouncing keyboards is fused perfectly, and the interplay is fun. It comes together to a complex crescendo and then just fades out.

“Run” is a slower song, not nearly as complex as the first track. It still has a driving melody, and Griff embellishes and pronounces each syllable he sings as clearly and as sharp as he can. The chorus reminds me of the cars, combining power chords, a chugging three tiered rhythm guitar and twinkling synth. There is also great use of a backing chorus of Ahh-Ahh-Ahhs in the chorus. Just a solid New Wave song.

“Ashes and Diamonds” is just a sincerely weird lyrical song. It is slower yet than the first two, and is virtually a ballad of memories after a night of intimiacy. The lyrics “I Smell Of You/it was not your perfume/or the room” reek of a sleazy or a juvenile sexual experience that the singer is never sure he will ever get back. It still has an 8-bit synth background plotting along as the background bass line. Overall, it is a really odd song.

“Secret Pleasure” has an intro of barely audible, echoing spoken word until the plucked synth sounds lay the groundwork for another juvenilely charged sexploration song. This song too, really reminds me of the Cars (musically) and the A’s (vocally). After a couple of verses, the chorus “Eyes = Yes, Lips = No” is repeated for a song ending breakdown, reworking the song down to its elements.

“She's My Man” is a great, jittery, nervous song with a down scale icy keyboard. The chorus is a driving drum filled declaration. It is a really fun song, including a chorus of deep Whoas to add another hooky element to the already sprinting song. It also adds an oddly places, but chaotically fitting fast piano solo, and again, Griff really sounds like Richard Bush from the A’s here.

“Things You Saw” also brings with a driving, chugging guitar riff, then once the A’s like vocals (I can’t get around it), a womp-womp bass synth effect oscillates in the background. The chorus is a complete building machine for the follow through, which is a great catchy carnival keyboard come down. Then it just builds right back up. The structure of the song is unconventional, but it is a solid interpretation, and makes this song, the best song on the record.

“The Scandinavian” begins the second side with a minute spacey and sterile instrumental, broken only by the electric guitar chords. Still only describable by the new wave combo of power chords and synth elements, this slower song feels a little broken or lacking in format, held together by the odd synth effect here or there. Then, at about 3 min, the song breaks form with a sunny and bright keyboard effect, and for a moment it is catchy, before it dips down into this stormy and hard pseudo metal guitar, which it never digs itself out from, having a bombastic finale of thundey and a held, sung note.

“Orient” has a power pop guitar layered under some vaguely Asian musical melodies. This sounds much more of a typical straight forward song, not deviating from the simple devised path, all the while, the bass line has a dark tone to it. The chorus is in two parts, and is not as catchy as the other songs, but it has a nice higher pitch, falsetto style vocal usage in the second part to emphasize the emotion. The song possesses an overall dreamy vibe.

“The Iron Curtain” is the third of four songs referencing a foreign place takes us to Russia, and a piano based tune, that flies along wistfully, like surveying the grand soviet land from above, and then it falls to the ground in a Mega Man like sprint for the chorus.

“A Cigarette Aprea L'Amour” begins with a watery guitar loop, sounding kinda jangle-poppy, and a dark, bass line and echoing vocals. The emotion in the chorus also feels like the A’s, but it is full of desire and memory in its sentiment. The overly produced chorus is catchy and inspiring, but dense. Which leaves the following verse feel light and sparse. The instrumental has an electric guitar that does not seem to really match the melody and temp set by the tambourine drums and bass line. And the song ends with a fade.

“The Sentimentalists” sounds like it is going to blossom into a Journey piano ballad at the get go. About 1:20, the song charges forward with an electric guitar burst. But it settles back down, feeling like “Faithfully” for the verse. The song’s theme is less sentimental, but more like the rest of the album’s sentiment: creepy stalker lyrics.

Stand Out Track: Things you Say

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(the) D4 - 6Twenty

Name: (the) D4
Album: 6Twenty
Year: 2003
Style: Garage Rock
Similar Bands: Datsuns, Hives, MC5, Mooney Suzuki,
"One-Word" Review: coked-up-gritty-classic-rock
Based Out Of: Aukland New Zealand
Label: Hollywood Records, Flying Nun Records

6Twenty - Cover, Back, CD, Tray
6Twenty - Inside, Back Cover

6Twenty (2003)

1. Rock N' Roll Motherfucker 2:00
2. Get Loose 1:56
3. Party 2:39
4. Come On! 2:23
5. Invader Ace 2:46
6. Exit to the City 3:40
7. Heartbreaker 4:28
8. Running On Empty 3:12
9. Ladies Man 3:47
10. Pirate Love 3:39
11. Little Baby 3:08
12. Rebekah 3:37
13. Mysterex 3:56
14. Outta Blues 2:28

Album Rating (1-10): 8.0

Members & Other Bands:

Bob Frisbee - Producer, Engineer, Mixing,

Andrew Buckton - Engineer

Malcom Welsford - Recording

Rich Mixture - Produced, Drums (The Rock n Roll Machine)

Cameron Rowe - Keyboard

Glenn Elliot - Photos

Eri Tanabe - Photos

Dion Palmer - Vox (True Lovers, A Place To Bury Strangers)

Jimmy Christmas - Guitar (Lugar Boa)

Vaughan Williams - Bass (Shocking Pinks)

Daniel Pooley - Drums

Unknownness: I never heard of these guys. This was a CD as part of the package from the same friend. Although I’m not a fan of the band name, and less a fan of using the same number+ written out number style for the album title, the cover looks like it has a lo-fi energy that is purposely applies. The guitar-as-a-gun imagery shows that they are a power guitar band. The song titles look like they are going to be high intensity. The only question is it going to be frat boy party rock or energetic, good time youths.

Album Review: “Rock N' Roll Motherfucker” is all that garage band rock is. It possesses loud, manic guitars riffing the same three (or so chords) and fuzzy lo-fi vocals “singing” at a nervous, neurotic pace. It is the perfect attach of self advertising its love for rock and roll while being rock and roll.
“Get Loose” has the same formula, except it has a repetitive chorus that pops. It feels more structured than the opening track, better suited for radio
“Party” begins with all drums: a rolling onslaught of rumbling percussion. The chorus is made up of the title, just chanted over a few times to the rhythm. It feels like a mutated, steroid infused Beatles song, where instead of innocent love, the topic is, well, a coked-up party. By the end of the song, the repetitious chorus becomes grating.
“Come On!” starts with steady drum hits, and evolves into a moderately fast pace song that is more Rolling Stones than Beatles. It has a very brit-pop guitar lick underneath the gritty façade.
“Invader Ace” has a Led Zeppelin hook in the beginning that is mixed with a song structure that is a lot like Motorhead’s “Stroker Ace.”
“Exit to the City” is a little more stripped down and structured party rocker. It’s not as manic as the rest of the record so far, but it is long way from a ballad, and still maintains the all night booze and broads party vibe.
“Heartbreaker” is a sleazy, well sung story lined transitional song. The guitars chug along as the song builds slowly. There is anger in the music, and the lyrics reflect a bad breakup. From the title too, this song paints the picture of a scorn, potentially vindictive author.

“Running On Empty” is a fun song, structured again like a 60’s British garage rock band, complete with the obvious car metaphor. The lead guitar is fun and very catchy, while the rest of the song just drives on.
“Ladies Man” sounds like its going to go right into “Flagpoll Sitta.” Then it gets into a slinky rhythm that is paralleled by guitar, drums, bass and keyboard. There is a Firewater song that sounds like this song too. It is a variation of the Sesame Street Theme and Green Day’s “Hitching a Ride.”
“Pirate Love” is all percussion at the get-go, then a positive sounding fuzzed out electric guitar follows up and the Brit Glam Pop sound takes hold. The song speeds up for the last minute as the instrumental break takes off. The song switches gears and finishes out the song with chanting the song title on repeat.
“Little Baby” has a rollercoaster melody: three chords up scale and then three more down scale through out the entire song. The instruments shift down in prominence for a section that features spoken/sung vocals that reminds me of the Realistics.
“Rebekah” continues with the same three chord melody structure as the last song, and it only feels like a variation of the last song. Like they couldn’t decide which way to use the melody, so they used it twice. This is the love song, done garage band style with volume and positive electric vibes.
“Mysterex” is a little more punk with its one------one-two drum beat and down-scale scrolling guitar. It feels like the Buzzcocks meet the Ramones. It is a very fun melody to follow, and is even punctuated with a Ramones “Oh Yeah.” It is just a little long for a true punk song. It has all the sections and musical nuances, it just uses them too many times. But the important thing is that it never ruins the style by throwing an unneeded section in the structure that would throw off the pace or change the mood.
“Outta Blues” is a quick rock song with simple structure and brings us back to the true sound of the band: Fast pace, simple chord changes, fuzzy production, and sung/chanted lyrics.

Stand Out Track: Mysterex

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