 Teenage
Girls
"The Initial Assault LP: The Art of Friendship" CD
PFP
Music
Genres: indie rock, college rock, alternative rock
e-mail the
band
Oct 14 - 20 2002 |
Teenage
Girls reach this album's highpoint on "Exactabox," an
energetic, punk-influenced rocker that switches between pondering emo
verses and an energetic, Q and Not U-influenced chorus. While
"Box" is the full-length's most noteworthy tune, there are
also a number of other good aspects to the album, including some
interesting melodies and vocal rhythms.
The band's primary goal, despite often being laced with occasional
whininess and pop simplicity, is to rock. Every tune, even those that
fall under the sentimental emo banner, manages to - at some point
during its duration - kick into rock mode. This is good news for fans
of "college rock" and "alternative rock", which
are both tags that apply to the band's style. The aptly-titled
"My First Ballad" comes closest to ignoring the band's rock
vein, remaining completely restrained for two-and-a-half minutes,
before finally breaking out the distortion for the last quarter of the
track. "How Callous Is The Sound (Biggest Fan)", meanwhile,
epitomizes the band's college rock style, coming forth with mock-indie
rock stylings and a pretty catchy, spastic melody that recalls Sebadoh's
excitable "Gimme Indie Rock," except with a less rough
sound.
All around, "The Initial Assault LP" is a very fine
effort. While lots of the stuff of this genre ends up sounding too
bland and generic to really matter, TG sure sound as if they're
doing something right. While repeated listens may be somewhat limited,
there is still plenty to enjoy (and hum along to) here.
78%
Matt Shimmer [Vitals:
9 tracks; distributed by CD
Baby;
released 2002] |
