 The Octagon
"Nothing But Change" CD
Serious Business Records
Genre: indie rock, indie pop
NYC, USA
Oct 6 2008 |
Nothing But Change's seventeen tracks whiz by pretty quickly,
largely because only two of them make it past the three minute mark.
But part of the reason this record turns out so fleeting is its fun
factor. Yes, I just said "fun factor." In a manner borrowed most
overtly from Pavement, The Octagon's three troublemakers
tromp their way through these songs with a melodic but unceasingly
carefree ethic.
Of course, Nothing But Change doesn't exactly reach the
heights attained by an album like Slanted and Enchanted, but by
that token they're also not the same band as Pavement. The
Octagon are more rock and less pop than Malkmus et al., but
this is still music with songwriting depth. The best songs on this
album match solid hooks
with a carefree demeanour: "The Narrow Road to Oku" recalls
zesty mid-90s indie rock, "Carlito's Way" is peppy and angular, and
impulsively structured "The Hope and the Shame" is
a joy to behold. None of these songs has the lasting power of a
"Summer Babe," but they still have their
share of appeal. Of course, with seventeen songs, a few experiments
don't work, and certain songs are blander than others, but that
shouldn't break any hearts. Much like a Guided by Voices album,
Nothing But Change's gems are served alongside some less
precious stones. But if fun, gleeful indie rock is something you're
hip to, The Octagon will not disappoint.
the
octagon's myspace
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youuuuuuuutube!:
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Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 17 tracks, distributed by
the
label,
released 2007] |
