This record is fucking great. Let me first mention that this band has members of The Mind Spiders, Wiccans, and the Uptown Bums, but even without knowing the lineage involved this record can truly stand on its own. Take the undeniably catchy riffs from your favorite Cheap Trick records and layer the accompanying vocals with a heavy Brit-pop influence (especially with regard to vocal melodies and overall delivery). Then, add a light sprinkling of modern garage rock and you might have something close to Sweet Talk. Now, you might be thinking, “Fuck, that sounds horrible!” but, trust me—it works in ways that many bands these days aspire to achieve. The Nielsen/Zander guitar work influence shines the strongest on songs like “No Vacancies,” where the dual guitar leads shimmer both together and alone at the same time, all while avoiding being wanky. While this is just one example, the ‘70s power pop influence is evident throughout all eleven of these songs. The subtle British-sounding lilt of the vocalist brings to mind some of the most essential Brit-pop records of the ‘90s funneled through a garage punk filter. I cannot get enough of these tunes, and even though it’s still currently early in the year, I fully expect this will be on my top 10 list when 2013 comes to a close.
–Mark Twistworthy (12XU, 12XU.net, [email protected])