63
Crayons
"Good People" CD
Happy
Happy Birthday To Me
Genres: indie pop
HHBTM
P.O. Box 1035
Panama City, FL 32402
Aug 7 - 13 2004 |
Every band lists The Beatles as an influence, but few actually
mean it. Not so in this case. 63 Crayons, led by principal songwriter "Charlie
Johnston" (it's actually John Lennon and Paul
McCartney), craft cute and elaborate pop tunes peppered with Magical
Mystery Tour bizarreness.
Of course, 63 Crayons spice things up a bit. The
simple, melodic charm remains intact, but various elements are added
to the mix - faster tempos, female vocals, trademark indie pop
xylophones... If you, like me, were first introduced to the band by
their self-titled HHBTM EP, you'll no doubt be pleased to learn that Good
People is just as hook-laden and melodic as its predecessor, only
much more psychedelic and a bit more challenging to get into.
Good People's first noticeable quirk is the inclusion
of a number of "freak-outs," short cacophonous interludes that
sound entirely improvised. These are neat spacers, though they
add little to the album's overall appeal. Interestingly, the
most satisfying of 63 Crayons' songs are also the
simplest. "Song for my Sister" is fun, but may
ultimately be too cluttered for some listeners, thus lacking the
hummable catchiness it could otherwise have. "Go Now
April," on the other hand, is more conservative and minimal - as
a result, its soft, 60s-style melody is quite infectious. This
simplistic approach is shared by the best of Good People's songs,
including the psychy "Rocketship" and the cheery "Mice
and Feathers." On the other hand, the more cluttered
"The Mold" is too busy to be fully enjoyed.
Despite its weak songs, though, 63 Crayons is far more good
than bad, and should be enjoyed by fans of HHBTM, and indie poppers in
general. And it's only their first album!
87%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 13 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2004] |