steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion

The Weightlifters

"O My Stars" CDEP

self-released

Genre: indie pop

Chicago, IL

July 2009

What's with one-man acts giving themselves pluralized names? There are certainly bigger examples (The Mountain Goats, Red House Painters), but this phenomenon is literally rampant on the self-released album scene.

I just thought I'd get that one out my system; believe me, it's been a long time coming. Whatever. The item in question here is The Weightlifters aka Adam McLaughlin, former guitarist for Idle Wilds - a mid-90s power-pop act that was signed to Ardent Records (Big Star's Jody Stephen's label) and turned up on the noteworthy Poptopia! compilation. On O My Stars, McLaughlin's power-pop sensibilities are certainly present, although the overall product is lusher and more mature. We get Apples in Stereo-esque psychedelia on sublimely pretty "Perfect" and "Whys and What Fors". Perhaps partially due to McLaughlin's high, lush singing voice, the more straightforward poppers (e.g. "Bygones," "Belle of the Wrecking Ball") reek of Teenage Fanclub, something which will certainly satiate fans of melody. All this makes O My Stars a tantalizing EP that sustains itself on pop hooks. Indie pop enthusiasts, take heed!

the weightlifters' myspace

80%

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 7 tracks, distributed by the band, released 2008]