Customer Reviews

Look What the Rookie Did

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

 

 

This album is simply the one of the best pop albums of all time. The songs are so happy, yet the production and lyrics are so dark. Anyway, get this album if you listen to 'indie' rock.

The only problem with 1960s britpop is that the Beatles and Who were developing so fast, they never got a chance to expand on their own inventions. (The Stones were just as great but eschewed invention in pursuit of blues purism)

If you take Who Sell Out or Rubber Soul, there are entire albums either band could have made taking the cue from one of their own songs. Both fortunately and unfortunately, there was Sgt. Pepper. Obviously the most inventive album in rock, it bore a whole new way of making music, but some of the older ideas were not developed until the next generation of bands decided to pick up the gautnlet.

All this is my windbag way of saying why I love Zumpano. This band specializes in the melodic mod pop invented by there Brittsh forefaters. There are jangly tunes, and some slightly harder edge grinds that maintain the melodicism. Zumpano even does an absolutley beautiful cover of Jimmy Webb's Rosencrantz Boulavard--obvoulsly not British, but the harpischord takes this tune into Ray Davies territory. On another song, the band uses the flute. As far as UK pop goes, Zumpano's influence stops around early 1966: they are basically minimalists and don't even move their music up to Revolver, though I am certian they could anytime they wanted.

Obviously, Zumpano is not alone. Big Star went back to this period in the early 1970s, and everyone from the Jam to Blur has milked this cow. But Zumpano is so earnest and successful, no matter how derivative, this is worth hearing.

Happy, happy jangling pop. Whoever heard of a lead singer with a lisp? No matter, it all works out pretty well. A band that managed to build upon the 60's pop sound without merely rehashing it -- they found a very unique sound of their own.

What do you play when you are driving through San Francisco in a 1970 Pontiac LeMans with 7 Frenchmen squeezed inside? Wait, one of them was Belgian. As Lawrence would say, an absolute classic masterpiece. Remember them live, 14 people watching, really feeling that second bong hit. Is that an organ? Is that a lisp? Yes, I'm digging you more than I've ever dug anybody else. Like our title says, we never give five stars - go see the inredible moses leroy listen to that album and feel our conviction and discipline - but we just did. "drinks crash to the floor."

i actually haven't heard the entire album, but what i have heard is top-of-the-line power pop -- if you're a Sloan/matthew sweet fan, this might just be your thing. i also know they're from vancouver (canada). wahoo?