Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"..nobody's heard of the amps anyway..", November 1, 2002
Kim's quick dismissal (even while jokingly) of this my-other-band-is-on-hiatus band is a bit surprising and a tad sad, for one big reason - Pacer includes some of the most moving, beautifully crafted, and overall best songs of the Kim catalog. This album would easily be the best Breeders release, if it was the Breeders... but it's actually probably better that it isn't. For one thing the different moniker allows this collection of Kim creation to be automatically separated in one's mind from the ahoohah's of Last Splash. And then, well, it just makes for a more wonderfully interesting story, sticking a detour onto Breeder road.
Breeders drummer Jim Macpherson is on here (being the other member of that band that didn't have a reason to stop), as is Kelley Deal, who apparently sings backing vox and plays some bass somewhere..although she's not credited so eh, I don't know where. Kim intended to include her somehow and there are interviews floating around about this if you want to try and figure it out yourself.
And I'd say to all the people who sighed at such a long wait between Breeders albums Last Splash and Title TK, and sighed more at the fundamental differences in sound between the two - quit thinking of the Amps as a side project and you'll make some interesting discoveries...
I generally listen to this album moreso when I'm sad, or just not exactly ecstatic. It complements that mood expertly. It also happens to be pretty relaxing... The only thing I've never put it to use for is background sound. It's too good for that - I can't not pay attention to it.
It's really great happy sadness.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Low-key energy, March 8, 2005
Before the Breeders reunited in 2002, the rock group had splintered into three other groups. One of those side groups was the Amps, headed by Kim Deal. Though the Amps produced only one album, "Pacer" is a low-fi, subtle creature that takes a while to really show its complexity.
It's raw garage... pop. Not quite rock, but deep indiepop, with bits of rock and punk mixed in. It was recorded in a minimalist style, with sunny pop suddenly seguing into the rockin' "Tipp City," where the tempo and sound are upped in a big way. Deal lets rip vocally here, and the music does too.
Other songs sound rough around the edges, but not quite enough to be alienating -- the heavy, thick "Mom's Drunk," the dynamic rock of "Breaking the Split Screen Barrier," and the stripped-down excellence of "Empty Glasses," where the instruments come out into the front.
Compared to the Breeders, there's a feeling of harmony in "Pacer" -- since it was done quickly and with great energy, there's no underlying rivalries or conflicts here. It's just a good band, making good music. And after you've listened to it a few times, it becomes clear that it's also wildly underappreciated.
The musical style does take a little getting used to, just because it will not sound familiar. It's so stripped-down, so lo-fi that it sounds totally unlike your average rock band. But it has a refreshing honesty and lack of pretension, and complex melodies come out if you listen hard enough. Luis Lerma and Jim MacPherson mold their bass and drums into the rock-hard, minimalist basis of each song.
Kim Deal sounded like she was having a good time in "Pacer," whether shouting with ecstacy, yelling, or drunkenly inquiring where the waittress is. Her spiky vocals can be cute or rough, depending on the song, and she brings a sense of vitality to "Pacer." No drowsy monotones here -- Deal wears her limbic system on her sleeve.
The Amps were only a one-shot band, which is saddening, because the promise that brims from the energetic "Pacer" could have lasted a lot longer.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Kim loves beer, August 13, 2004
it seems as though this is a one-time album from a one-time band since the Breeders got back together to make "Title TK" and now the Pixies are finally reunited. i have a feeling that The Amps will never make another album. but what a nice neat little album they left behind for us all. the music here is sort of basic 4-chord indie rock that falls somewhere between a simplified version of Pixies and the Breeders (well...duh). i know that sounds like a lazy comparison but it really is how it sounds. but then the vocals come into play and it totally changes the formula. first off all...kim's smoky, husky vocals are a real treasure. she can spoil your ears with her sexy sound. but with The Amps, her vocals sound like they were recorded on a cassette tape that someone stuck in their back pocket and got accidentaly thrown in the washing machine. that could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how much of a modified vocal sound you can tolerate. but for most of the material on "Pacer" it works pretty well. there's a few catchy semi-sad songs on here ("Bragging Party," "Mom's Drunk"), some alcohol induced jams ("Empty Glasses" which sounds like a drunken trainwreck with Kim even emulating a train whistle at the beginning of the song), and some just plain odd missteps ("Hoverin," and "Breaking the Split Screen Barrier"). Think of this cd as a bit of an appetizer inbetween main Kim Deal courses and it's easier to enjoy.
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