Review: The Stereo

The Stereo
““No Traffic””
(Fueled By Ramen)

Indie Pop.  Someone is wearing a Weezer T-shirt to bed at night.  Getting away with a rhyme scheme that is pure pop, and guitars that either pump along rock jams ala Urge Overkill, or carve clever little picking rhythms to sweeten the straighter bass lines.  With radio hooks that I’d actually like to hear on the radio, The Stereo are gearing up for career in wooing chicks through songs that make them look like they actually give a shit about the relationships they are in.  And if they are like any other musician, the selfish bastards are creating material to write from almost any time they take their band out on the road.  But they can combine a good vocal hook that grabs onto the guitar hook, and before you know it, you head is bobbing.  I’m not sure where this band is from, but there is a Midwest sensibility to their rock.  Aha, this was recorded in Milwaukee, WI.  I amaze myself.  “Please Don’t Break My Heart” could be remade by Joe Jackson (did that “Stepping Out” jazzy pop song in the 80’s..ah nevermind) and both would be a smash hit.  It’s kinda sappy pop, but has enough craft to keep it from washing up against the Everclear – Matchbox20 idea of radio guitar pop.  The Stereo have more of a Material Issue – guitar songs about girls vibe and the hunger of not being bloated on too much success.  The pop world tends to breed a lot of arrogance with its success, fortunately The Stereo are too busy losing chicks and trying to get them back with songs they wrote about them to worry about how cool their band has become.