Although this band splits their efforts between gentle ballads and oddball pop-rock, the former isn't really my cup of tea. So the appeal for me is largely based on the orchestrated madness of their pop-rock. Maybe the silliness is a subversive commentary on the cookie-cutter nature of pop music? Well, all I care about is that bouncing around like a madman is heaps of fun!
And this album is brimming with such fun. It kicks off with The One Thing I Know, which jumps all over the place but somehow manages to just hold it all together. The only downside is that the chorus gets a bit stale towards the end. Gods Gift To Women uses the same great recipe, adds a dash of cheeky lyrics and is fantastic from start to finish.
Caught In The Crowd, Last Thing On Earth and Our Song are probably wonderfully spiritual songs, but... well... I'm just here for the craziness...
Politics In Space has a really great country mood (somehow reminding me of John Farnham??) in the verses, but I find the saccharine chorus undermines the song. End Of School, however, maintains a beautifully haunting and sparse mood throughout, much like The Howling Bells. Amongst the silliness of this album, it injects a moment of calm reflection.
In my opinion, Can't Shake It and Motorscooter represent the pinnacle of the band's style. Just the right amount of madness gives the songs their spice, as does the cheeky lyrics (my favourite being "I execute the moonwalk like I stepped in shit"). Yet one does not listen to these songs sagely appreciating their qualities, because the grooves are so irresistibly catchy that you're inevitably bouncing around! This is the oddball-pop genre perfected.
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