Spazboy
““Alright Tokyo””
(Moonsault Records)
Almost reminds me of a hard rock/punktified Barenaked Ladies. These guys live up to their name with rapid-fire vocals, quick chord changes, insta-hooks ™ and geeky lyrics. The guitars are layered thick, with classic riffs and leads that throw back to 70’s rock – but you won’t find any stadium epics here. The longest song on the disc is well under three minutes, yet they somehow manage to pack the standard intro-verse-bridge-chorus-repeat into every track. These are the tracks that stuck. The clean twang and pleading vocals of “Christmas” – are about Christmas and stuff, but not in an especially offensive way. “Jungle Music” is all drive. It’s probably the closest to angry you’ll hear on the album. Long pop singles are a rare breed – ever since Journey was banned in the States and the members of Styx were publicly executed. Most good pop is all hit-and-run, lasting just long enough to feel good, within minimal emotional impact. Like a good hooker. Major market radio is like a fat cat in a big hat, sitting in the Caddy with the gold rims to match his gold teeth, and you already seen all his bitches but you want to get yourself a naughty nurse with a butt plug. Sorry, but it ain’’t on the high roller’s menu. You’ll have to roll down to the lower rent college radio neighborhood to satisfy your deviant tastes. Even if you do like being pelted with cottage cheese while wearing a zippered leather mask and Speedos, that doesn’’t mean you don’t like a little of the old quick in-and-out every now and then… if you know what I mean. That’s what pop culture is all about – In and out. Spazboy might have just enough homegrown edge to cut through, with just enough polish to get that chance.
