Hoover's
G-String
"Crack" CD
Red
Tide Records
Genres: college rock, indie rock, indie pop
Hoover's G-String
c/o Red Tide Records
2517-D S. Walter Reed Dr.
Arlington, VA 22206
Aug 7 - Aug 11 2002 |
As
a general rule, packages with little gizmos and toys inside them
attract my attention first, and, as unfair as that may seem, that was
what first attracted my attention to Hoover’s G-String’s
package. Aside from a large, colour, glossy sticker wielding a drawing
of an obese man in a G-string, there were not one, but two, matchbooks
accompanying the cd. Now I’m not a smoker, in fact, I try my best to
avoid smokers as best I can, but I do like to set fires. So thank you Hoover’s
G-String, I now have 40 matches to burn things with.
Oh, that’s right - I’m supposed to be reviewing the music.
Well, it's not that great. It's actually just normal, enjoyable
college-rock. Right from the opener, "Blowing Thru A Stop
Sign", you know exactly what you're in for. It makes for a great
casual listen; the glaring pop hooks keep you entertained and succeed
in being catchy, so it will come as no surprise when you catch
yourself humming along to the tunes. While there are a few
similarities to some boring mainstream acts, lots of this has a very
fresh feel, with all sorts of indie nods amidst the noise.
"Dave's So Cheap" and "The Jersey Turnpike", for
example, toy around with Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet's surf
style, and "Driving Your Car" is like an amalgam of Terror
Twilight-y Pavement, Built To Spill, and a bit of
early Pedro The Lion. The songs are short, too - most of them
falling under the three minute mark - and their conciseness keeps them
feeling fresh and fun.
While this album has its weak bits (like the over-whiny
"Chinese New Year" - which is coincidentally the album's
longest track), there is lots to like about Crack, and half the
fun lies in figuring out all the possible meanings of the album's
title (although the band's logo
may offer some insight into that). This is for fans of short, catchy
college rock songs.
80%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
31 min 54 sec; 13 tracks; distributed by CD
Baby;
released 2001] |