The Weightlifters
"O My Stars" CDEP
self-released
Genre: indie pop
Chicago, IL
July 2009 |
What's with one-man acts giving
themselves pluralized names? There are certainly
bigger examples (The Mountain Goats, Red House
Painters), but this phenomenon is literally rampant on the
self-released album scene.
I just thought I'd get that one out my system; believe me, it's been
a long time coming. Whatever. The item in question here is The
Weightlifters aka Adam McLaughlin, former guitarist for
Idle Wilds - a mid-90s power-pop
act that was signed to Ardent Records (Big Star's Jody
Stephen's label) and turned up on the noteworthy Poptopia!
compilation. On O My Stars,
McLaughlin's power-pop sensibilities are certainly present,
although the overall product is lusher and more mature. We get
Apples in Stereo-esque psychedelia on sublimely pretty "Perfect"
and "Whys and What Fors". Perhaps partially due to McLaughlin's
high, lush singing voice, the more straightforward poppers (e.g.
"Bygones," "Belle of the Wrecking Ball") reek of Teenage Fanclub,
something which will certainly satiate fans of melody. All this
makes O My Stars a tantalizing EP that sustains itself on pop
hooks. Indie pop enthusiasts, take heed!
the weightlifters' myspace
80%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 7 tracks, distributed by
the band,
released 2008] |