Customer Reviews

Boomerang/Shoes on Ice

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

 

 

I can't believe no one has written a review of this yet. If you don't own it, buy it now. If you have the vinyl version, get the cd. All the songs are great, and there are also live versions of 6 songs from Present Tense and Tongue Twister which are also great.

Although not as good as Present Tense, Boomerang is still one hell of an album. Shoes on Ice really helps, too - they sound so tight and the drumming is so reserved compared to their later incarnations that if it weren't for the crowd, you'd have trouble identifying it as a live EP. If you like melodic pop, triple harmonies, almost enough fuzz, and solid boy-loses-girl lyrics, definitely give this a listen.

The third album on Elektra by the Shoes was an effort at self production, and sounds as good as any of their previous efforts. Seems "Boomerang" was Shoes as the Shoes understood themselves; melodic power-pop with buzzing guitars and rich harmonies. It's not the flawless masterstroke "Present Tense" or the fuzzed out speed ball of "Tongue Twister," it's still a darn good album.

In fact, with the exception of "The Tube" and "Shake It Away," all the songs here are mini-masterpieces. "Summer Rain" rates as one of my fave Shoes songs, and "Mayday" and "What Love Means" are among the Shoes tunes that make me wonder why these guys never brokered a hit single. I'm also partial to the brooding "Tested Charms," a low key song about a flirt who is finding out her moment has passed.

The reissue of "Boomerang" benefits from the bonus EP "Shoes On Ice," songs from the first two albums performed in front of a hometown crowd. It gives ample evidence that the four Shoesters were 100% capable of recreating the energy of their albums from the stage and makes the purchase of this CD a must for power-poppers.

like all their releases, boomerang is infused with shoes' exhilarating unpretentiousness and irresistible melodies wrapped up in a tasty jangly guitar package. this is second only to their masterpiece, tongue twister.

Their simple melodies and simple words were entertaining in my high school and early college years. I can see why I liked them back then. They did some nice harmonies and their music was fun.