Hum and the Quick - Like... This
(Traveling Talons)
Hum & the Quick are a very eager bunch; they produce jumpy music packaged in atrociously slick album art; like a teacher's pet just a bit too keen to please. Like... This is a plucky little project, a collection of tunes embedded with accordion, bouncy beats and array of samples that often catch the listener off guard. Like label-mates Jonathan Donaldson, they wear their British influences proudly on sleeves, and with affected Smiths-like vocals and images that evoke old Blighty. However, whereas Donaldson's pop attack is often joyously overwhelming, Hum & the Quick hover in a mediocre zone, neither pleasant enough nor imbued with the tension of the Smiths' best work.
Like... This is definitely enjoyable, and Hum & the Quick are probably a very entertaining bunch of chaps, it's just that they tell a bunch of stale old jokes and stories. "Albuquerque," for example, is a fun number but also provides a good demonstration of the album's shortcomings. It's full of verve, but the kind of energy that would score you high marks in customer service at a retail store; service with a smile.
Recording Like... This was probably a huge undertaking, with 72 minutes of music and a plethora of instruments and sounds. It is a record that will supply some people with hours of enjoyment, for its flaws are not immediately obvious and are buried beneath the surface. Technically, Hum & the Quick are fine players, with a commandment of many instruments. Maybe I am too being critical, should just lighten up and enjoy the tunes; but I have to wonder if this record really adds anything new to the musical stew.
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