 The
Davenports
"Hi-Tech Lowlife" CD
Mother
West
Genres: power pop, indie pop, indie rock
Mother West LLC
132 W 26th St.
New York NY
10001
Jan 10 - 16 2005 |
Like any good power pop band, The Davenports cram their songs
full with irresistible hooks and never let up. Hi-Tech
Lowlife is perfect for chilling, but also entertaining enough to
sustain one's full attention. Scott Klass loves to put
together songs with quirky, frequently comical lyrics and offbeat
melodies. On this record, we are confronted by a wide array of
strange subject matter - there are songs about a fancy home
entertainment system expressly created for watching porn ("Get
the guys - come over, Mitch/The frosted curls, black and blue thighs
never looked so color-rich") and a girl who acts as the office
slut during holiday parties, as well as an ode to Annette
O'Toole. The music is based on quick, infectious choruses, which
many of these songs have. "Melissa Now" and
"Annette O'Toole" just pile on the melodies like there's no
tomorrow. Meanwhile, slower tunes "Eric Grey" and
"You're the Only Girl for Me" add depth to the record by
offering a break from the high-energy pop The Davenports
specialize in. Fortunately, these songs also have a very strong
accessibility to them, so the overall flow of Hi-Tech Lowlife
is never jeopardized. Only "You'll Never Know" and
"Happy Hour" are letdowns; they feel as if they should be a
bit catchier than they are. Fortunately, they aren't terrible -
they just rank lower among some of this record's truly amazing
tracks. As far as pop music goes, Hi-Tech Lowlife is far
ahead of most of the attempts I get the pleasure of hearing. The
Davenports make me excited for the future of proud, hook-laden
power pop. More records ought to be this good. 85%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
12 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2004] |
