Vol. 3 Episode 26

All right, I have another week off. I will hopefully be able to relax a little bit this week. There is still plenty to do though. I have some really good albums reviewed here this week. I hope you like them as much as I do.

Here we go...

Toad The Wet Sprocket – Fear

This is the third album from the group. It was released in 1991. I remember listening to this album as I fell asleep in high school as a freshman. This album was one of my favorites. I must have gotten rid of the disc though in the late 90s when I needed some money. I recently purchased the album again for a dollar on my trip to Pawn America a week or two ago and an enjoying the album again like I did back then.

There were three singles that I am a ware of that were released. The first single is called Is It For Me. It is a good alternative song that has rock music style but moves so slow. The vocals are really what this group is about with this track. The music is good but doesn’t move me so much.

The second single from the album is called All I Want. The use of the jangly guitar and their fantastic harmonies works well in the chorus for this song. The acoustic guitar and male solo vocals works just as well on the verse here too. It is a good song but not my favorite and not the reason that I got the album either.

Walk On The Ocean is the third single from the album. This is the reason that I got the album. The bass line on the song is so simple but stands in the front through the verse with the acoustic guitar and simple drums. The chorus it more expansive with strings keyboards and misty harmonies from the other members of the band. There is even a very pretty guitar solo that soars over all of the strings and keys at one point in the song. It is a great soaring song that makes you want to slow dance with someone.

The Sundays – Reading,Writing and Arithmetic

This is The Sundays first album. It was released in 1990. I remember hearing the second single from the album on the radio when it was released. I remember thinking that the song was very interesting but my friends were into other music at the time so it was soon forgotten about. It was not a super big hit though either. A few years ago my friend mentioned it to me and I said that I liked the second single but did not know much else about the band. This is again an album that I found on my trip to the pawn shop. I am happy to have purchased the album for a buck.

The first single from the album is called Can’t Be Sure. The song's lyrical theme is "desire", treated as a general concept rather than being directed towards anything or anyone in particular. By the song's closing refrain, the song's narrator appears to have come to terms with, if not necessarily resolved, the dichotomy. The song is not quite jangly but seems to soar on the vocals and guitar.

The second single released from the album is called Here’s Where The Story Ends. The female vocals have a slight echo on them making them float it would seem. The acoustic guitar works well with this effect on the echo. In the chorus the guitar is added to with what sounds like a mandolin but could just as easily be a standard guitar. It is a very pretty song and should be heard at least once by everyone.

Fugazzi – Fugazzi EP

This is there first release. It was released in 1988. This EP is also know by fans as 7 Songs. This is also the only release that Guy Picciotto did not contribute guitar for. It was all performed by Ian MacKaye. This EP is also included in the Compilation release called 13 Songs which the EP Margin Walker was also included.

The EP is most famous for its single Waiting Room. This is actually why I got the EP. It is an unexpected song from a post punk group with driving bass line and female backing vocals. I really liked this song when I was a kid but knew nothing about punk rock or most genres for that matter at the time. I remember hearing the track on the radio and it stuck in my head for over twenty years in the background. I ran across a repressing of the EP in Hot Topic at one point a few years ago and bought it on the spot because I remembered the name of the this song. I don’t know if I will ever buy anything else from them in the future though because there was no other song that I can remember from them that I had an interest in.

There is one other song I would have thought about putting out as a single it would be Suggestion. This song has an interesting melody that drags you with it. I would have thought that it may have been created around the same time as Waiting Room. It has a similar style. 

Whirr – Distressor

This is the first release from Whirr. It is an EP. It was originally released as a seven track EP. The EP was released in limited quantities. The EP has been re-released to the demand of fans of the new album. The artwork has been redone on the re-release and two demo tracks have been added to the EP. The two demo tracks are of songs already on the EP. There was no official single released from the EP but If I had to pick a track to recommend to readers and friends it would have to be the song Leave. This track is the most memorable of the seven tracks on this EP. It is classic shoegaze sounds from start to end, soaring guitars with floating female vocals. I did order this on vinyl. It was said to be on tri-colored vinyl but I have yet to receive my copy. I was able to do the review ahead of time because I got a download code with my order. This is very underground music and would not recommend it to most folks unless you are looking for more music of this type. At low volume levels this could be considered a relaxing album though. You make the call.

That is all for now...