Customer Reviews

Bali

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although at times they trod upon ground already claimed by Jellyfish, High Llamas or the Pizzicato 5, the Wondermints have pulled off a uniquely "groovy" set of sunny power pop on this album. "Instantly catchy" is the operative phrase here. These guys don't just wear thier retro influences on thier sleeves, they proudly unfurl it on banners, with song titles like "In And Around Greg Lake". Each song seems to be an homage to a specific 60's or 70's artist; Beach Boys, Beatles, Todd Rundgren are the most obvious touchstones, and I swear there's a lost Klaatu song in there too!(An homage to an homage? Discuss.)Crack musicianship and vocal arrangements abound. If you need a break from souless techno noodling or mopey, "important" discordant poseurs, "pop" open a box of curiously refreshing Wondermints!

As I ponder for the first time the newly released "Bali" CD, I can only offer one comment: picks up where Jellyfish left off (and that's a compliment)! Are you sure that's not Roger Joseph Manning Jr. (Jellyfish, Imperial Drag) on keyboards under the Witness Protection Program or something? (-;

Good luck guys; you sure passed the Brian Wilson audition! (-:

This is pop so well-crafted and catchy that it just leaves me speechless. I bought this last weekend and have wandered around since then humming Puppet Grrls R Go. That is, when I'm not humming Cellophane. I just can't help it. Now I may just have to buy the imports, although I really wish all of these discs would be domestically released as they should be. Wondermints R Go!

...then this CD is for you. Inventive, quirky, surprising, and with heart. Lots of Brian Wilson influence in the vocals. This probably means I'll end up buying all those expensive imports of there's. One of the best things I've heard this year.

I've long been of the opinion that a truly magical recording just begs to be played again and again. "Bali' is such an album. Make no mistake, this is high art. I find Wondermint's sound to be SO refreshing and unique among the mass of noise out there. I confess to only recently discovering these wonderful artists last month when I purchased "Mind if We Make Love', which is also magic from beginning to end. Bali', which I understand was the predecessor to the aforementioned masterpiece, reveals more of the bands evolvement, (they make great back to back listens by the way... sounds like one continuum),

So, what sets these guys apart from the crowd? Well I guess it's like anything in music: you either really resonate with what you hear on a vibrational level or not. Well, I do. I LOVE this stuff. First of all, its surprizingly creative. Every song here goes into unexpected territory musically. They weave a beautiful tapestry of sound textures throughout and never stay too long on one... so the music is never boring and forever interesting. The guys are masterful musicians. Very complex and tight harmonies ride relentless high energy sound waves that continually change and take the listener on a pleasure ride.

But what I really notice as being refreshing is that this band really appreciates beauty in the way that the older great artists of the sixties embodied. By that I mean, vocal harmony, chording, etc. is just friendly to the ear. Lots of great vocal work that is arranged tightly with the instrumentation to create a total sound that is unique. And they play with a great deal of passion and youthful energy. It's music I feel in my gut. Their belief in thier art, and the authenticity really shines though.

'Bali' appears to be a theme album of sorts, but I'm still working on deciphering exactly what that is. Ha ha... it doesn't matter. The experience of listening is it's own reward. It has many fine moments, but really the whole set is of very high calibre. The stylish opener, 'Arnaldo Says' and the sweet following 'Sting o' Luv' are among my current songs that I just can't get enough of. 'Hypnolove' is also absolutely spellbinding, and is very high on my list of favorite songs by ANYONE at ANYTIME. It's pure magic! Other high points: 'In and around Greg Lake', 'Cellophane', 'Spoke of the Wheel Whirled', 'Wanderlust', 'Telemetry', well, I could on.... and include every track here! There is not a song here that is less than a wonderful song. These guys are the 'beatles' or 'beach boys' of the current generation. Immense talent. I hope they eventually get the public recognition they so much deserve.

Bottom line: Don't hesitate to buy this CD. Its a beautiful and very cool and original recording. Theres nothing else out there like it, except of course, for other Wondermint gems. But even then, this is unique unto itself.
VIVA WONDERMINTS!

This album is a pure pleasure from start to finish.The musicianship is unbelievably skilful.The songs are either very upbeat or jawdroppingly sad -in a "God only knows" kind of way.What makes this album so special is the number of catchy tunes.The quality is only let down once on the very over-the-top "Spoke Of A Wheel Whirled" but songs such as "Sting O'Luv" and "Cellophane" are a pure pleasure from start to finish. A fabulous album ! p.s. The hidden track that is song number 99 is excellent also !

This disc is really tons of fun! If you are a fan of the mid-to-late 60's Beach Boys, or of Burt Bacharach, or of California pop like the 5th Dimension, or of Austin Powers, or of James Bond-ish sounds, you're in for a real treat with this disc. Excellent production values. Lots of layers there in the mix. Not afraid to throw in orchestration, horns, and lots of time signature changes. Plenty of Farfisa organs and echo-vocals. Drenched in the 60's sounds, yet very fresh-sounding on its own. One tune is reminiscent of "Midnight Cowboy" theme. The title track gives a nod to the Beach Boys' "Little Pad." These guys are real professionals. Why did it take so long for a U.S. record label to distribute this disc? There's no reason to spend big $$$ on the import now! Hooray! These boys really do rank up there on a level with the above-mentioned artists!

This is a terrific album by the best pop group to come along in years. The musicianship is stellar, the production is creative and intelligent and fun, and the melodies are the best I've heard from any modern band. Their many influences are incorporated smoothly and literately; they compliment the Wondermints' sound but never dominate it, and the songs are all fresh and different but still form a single cohesive album. The title song evokes the Beach Boys' "Smiley Smile" album.

Almost a kvetch: like much of what's around currently, these great songs tend towards a little glibness (e.g. a song about puppetoons); lyrics are clever without any great depth of feeling. This doesn't affect the pleasure of the listening experience, but they really take it to the next level lyrically and emotionally with great success on their next album, "Mind If We Make Love To You", a dynamic stride forward for the best band going.

i must say that if you don't hear the very intense influence of the most brilliant 60's tropicalia band Os Mutantes here, you must be deaf. I give them props for letting themselves be influenced by such an incredible, revolutionary band of Brazilian tropicalia geniuses.....but in the end, wouldn't you just want to listen to the Mutantes???

Buy it anyway, this isn't run of the mill by any means. These guys, much like Mr. Kurt Heasley of the Lilys, know the art of intelligent, complicated songcraft in the sway of the fantastic sounds of the 60's with a slight modern twist. And for a time where music was NEW, where guitar had never been heard like that before, what better than to pay homage to such an important time in pop history??? The Wondermints do it right, and you better do it right than do it at all. otherwise you just look ridiculous. purchase, my friends.

I bought this album several years ago at a Brian Wilson concert. It's a whole lot of great songs. Darian writes the kind of songs you wanna hear over and ever again. Also, thought the 80+ bonus tracks of waves followed by a rejected beer ad was pretty funny.