Green and Yellow TV - Record X
(Records)
The Green and Yellow TV are considered to be one of the better current LA bands. And why not? They play a nice brand of backwards looking, forward thinking nostalgic pop. And their newest release, Record X, certainly falls into that category. They've got the roaring, muddy rhythm guitar juxtaposed with the clear lead guitar lines, the semi-tinny drums, and the poppy vocals and melodies down pat. But something is missing.
The opener, "The Moon Hoax," opens the album on a bad note. Sure, the band rocks out with all they've got, and it sounds real good, but when you listen to the song as a whole, it seems oddly forgettable. And the same fate befalls "C'mon Girls" (which is in the running for one of the worst song titles of the year, sounding like something Andrew W.K. reject), and "Ineffable Blues" (not as bad as the previous title, but still groan worthy). "Babies In Zen," with its start and stop moments and above average melody escapes the humdrum, but things go back to the way they were with "In With You" and on until the end.
These songs aren't bad. You could hear any one of them and bob your head or tap your foot in time. None of them make you shout, "Turn this crap off!" But none of it sticks in your head. Repeated listens don't help. None of these melodies are memorable. The Green and Yellow TV end up sounding like countless other bands here, and with so much great music out there, why would someone spend their money on something that's just average, or, worse, totally generic?
|
