 L.A.
Tool and Die
"Fashion for the Evildoer" CD
AAJ
Records
Genres: indie rock, indie pop
AAJ Records
PO Box 241595
Charlotte, NC
28224-1595
Oct 25 - 31 2004 |
This isn't exactly an easy album to get into. The indie rock
contemptuousness that L.A. Tool and Die mock on Fashion for
the Evildoer's first song, "Jesus Saved Me at the Record
Show," is precisely what will get in the way of success for the
band. Their cheery, unfailingly upbeat approach to music is
charming, but after ten songs one can tire of the positive
attitude. L.A. Tool and Die make it clear they aren't
trying to be ironic or witty; they're just having fun. There's no better example then "Lucky For Me," which is
both cheery and somewhat funny. The verse is comprised of
bittersweet lyrics depicting the end of a major relationship; the
chorus is what grabs the listener's attention: "guess it's lucky
for me that I am so very happy" repeated over and over. The
bounciness of the tune seems to make fun of the subject matter, but it
also exemplifies a touchingly optimistic take on life.
"Galaxy High School" is also fun and cute (it depicts a
futuristic outer space romance), while "1983" takes a silly
trip to the eighties. Some of the other songs aren't as great
("Flat on My Back," "I'll Give You Three"), and at
times the perpetual cheeriness may induce a cringe or two, but
fortunately there is enough enjoyable content on this disc to keep the
open-minded listener entertained. Whether this disc will stay in my stereo
for weeks on end is debatable; for now, at least, I'm having fun.
80%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
11 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2004] |
