Review: Bare Jr.

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Bare Jr.
““Brainwasher””
(Immortal Records)

On “Why Do I Need a Job” lead singer Robert Bare Jr. drunkenly moans, “Why do I need a job?-I feel so free-I got nowhere to be-so why do I need a job?”  Hate to break it to you there Bobby, but you might want to hit up Monster.com because I don’t think this Bare Jr. thing is going to work out.  Nashville based Bare Jr. combines elements from successful radio acts like Tom Petty, Dave Matthews Band, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers in an attempt to fuse them into a sort of retro, trip-rock.  Unfortunately, “Brainwasher” is loaded with throbbing base lines and quirky riffs that probably sound a lot better after a six-pack (okay, a twelver) of Budweiser.  Most of Bare Jr.’s raucous, twangy rock is vaguely reminiscent of Weezer, only without the depth and musicianship.  Unrequited love in one form or another make up the vast majority of the fourteen tracks on “Brainwasher”, as Bare Jr. describes the great lengths he would go to in order to get a little lovin’.  While it’s tough to fault the guy for trying, a bunch of hokey songs about girls does not a complete record make.  You’’ve got to throw in some songs about beer to have that.