Scoville Unit
"Everybody Knows" CD
Ernest
Jenning Record Co.
Genres: indie pop, indie rock
Ernest Jenning
68 Cheever Place #2 Brooklyn NY
11231
Sep 26 - Oct 3 2004 |
Scoville Unit's press sheet makes them out to be some sort of
"big thing" borne out of a casual recording session between Gandhar
Savur and four of his friends. The songs that came out of an
evening of instrumental tomfoolery were purportedly too amazing to let
pass - Everybody Knows was released to give the music a proper
home.
Sometimes pop musicians take themselves too seriously. Scoville
Unit, named after a measurement for specifying the
"hotness" of hot sauces, are not about to change the face of
rock music. Their songs, though sometimes nice, are not likely
to become mass favourites. On Everybody Knows, nothing is
offensively bad, but there are tunes that don't need to be here.
"That Special Someone," for example, is bland and
ineffectual - it's very angsty, and its melody isn't remotely
memorable. "Wildest Dreams" is also quite unimpressive
- its overall sound is amateurish and thoroughly uninteresting.
Fortunately, there are some redeeming, enjoyable tracks; however, nothing is mind-blowing. "The Morning After," for
example, is a peppy, keyboard-laced rock number; it is instantaneously
catchy, but lacks substance for repeated listens. "Bitter
Drinks," meanwhile, is a bit calmer and more infectious, as is
the cheerily self-deprecating "Secret Mission To Your
Heart." Closer "Everything" takes the cake - its
simple structure is both cute and undeniably hum-worthy.
Everybody Knows is a suitable debut - it has its drab
moments, but comes off positively as a whole. If the folks
behind Scoville Unit choose to record again, their sophomore
effort should be worth some attention.
76%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
11 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2003] |