steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion

Audio Out Send

"...Or Does It Explode?" CD

Flashcard Project

Genres: indie pop, dream pop, indie rock

Audio Out Send
PO Box 21032
Oakland CA
94620-1032

Mar 22 - 28 2004

There's nothing surprising about Audio Out Send's ...Or Does It Explode?  These songs are simple, infectious indie pop numbers that take cues from the back catalogues of bands like Mercury Rev, Grandaddy, and The Flaming Lips.  The band, a quartet basically, fuels their pretty rock tunes with infectious vocals, simple instrumentation, and a fair share of electronic enhancement.

Though its creativity can be questioned, ...Or Does It Explode's sound should suffice for most listeners.  Melodies are definitely in abundance, and the atmosphere, though contrived, is quite pleasant and very easy on the ears.  "The Great Lawn Competition" and "Calling on the Girl" are surefire hits - you'd have to be made of stone not to enjoy them.  Lots of these tunes are also worthy of repeated listens, and a few, like "Rolling Heads" and "A Rocket Up My Spine," would make for perfect mixtape material.

Altogether, Audio Out Send is a solid band, and their creative shortcomings are far from uncommon.  With future albums they will hopefully be able to carve out a bit more of a niche for themselves.

83%

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 11 tracks, distributed by the band, released 2003]