Twenty Minute Loop - Decline of Day
(Fortune)
At their best, 20 Minute Loop (no loops are used, and all songs are of standard radio song length) sounds like an above average ripoff of The Pixies. At their worst, 20 Minute Loop sounds like an above average ripoff of Belly or Concrete Blonde. This spread of quality in ripping off these 80s and 90s college rock bands is actually substantial, though, as there are only two or three songs here that are moving enough for anyone to take notice, the rest of the album being bland and easily forgettable.
The album starts with the upbeat "Jubilation" a song about an underwater man who controlled all the seas, who had some cards in his spokes and was practicing his choke, and who also had a thing for field hockey players, and then the next thing you know the planet hit the sun and he saw the face of Allison dancing the manta ray. A rumbling, frolicking bass part anchors several distinct phases in the song, ranging from pretty male/female vocals to a screaming, angry part that sounds like the band is trying to say, "I've got something against you." The song "Momphia Termina" is also, at least, fun to listen to, as Kelly Atkins does her best to emulate Bjork's emulation of a Broadway singer. Atkins chants, ranging from a quiet coo to a fully diaphram-propelled exultation. The band follows well, too, making solid, thumping beats to back up Atkin's rooster-like posturing.
20 Minute Loop calls their music "freakpop" (one word). By that, you'd think the band takes a lot of chances, but they really don't. Most songs start at the middle of the road and stay there. The couple chances they do take seem to work, the only times the energy of the band, which seems to be lying just under the surface at most times, really translates to the music. Most of the time, that energy doesn't translate as well, though, so you're left with more than half an album of throw away songs.
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