It is 80s/90s Cure/Morrissey, right?

“The Mong” – Music Group Commentary, February, 2007

SQUEEZE – ANGRYBARGY = 5 STARS
I admit that beyond “Singles: 45s and Under,” Squeeze’s much beloved g’hits, I have only heard their full albums from friends’ collections on long drives, at parties, or get-togethers. I have always been mildly ashamed of not delving deeper but now I fully regret it. “Angrybargy” is amazingly perfect pop. A few of the classics are here but the tracks in-between are no less flawless. I have heard comparisons to Lennon/McCarty in the song-writing duo of Chris Difford and Glen Tilbrook for years and, sure enough, a quick lookup at allmusic.com carries on this comparison. If this comparison is inaccurate because it isn’t really comparing ‘apples to apples’ method-wise, it is not inaccurate in terms of potential for enduring greatness, as evidenced by “Angrybargy.”

PAVEMENT – SLANTED AND ENCHANTED = 5 STARS
“Slanted and Enchanted” is one of the great albums by one of my favorite bands so is my inevitable praise preconceived? I think not. Here’s a short list of bands that “Slanted and Enchanted” opened the door for: Neutral Milk Hotel, Guided by Voices, Grifters, Bell & Sebastian, and even Beck. Among today’s bands that were directly or indirectly influenced by “S&E” include: Arcade Fire, The Decemberists, The Shins, and The New Pornographers. So, like it or not, for better or worse, Pavement’s “Slanted and Enchanted” is inarguably one of the most influential albums of the ’90s and beyond. My favorite of theirs is “Crooked Rain Crooked Rain,” which I would classify as important and generationally reflective as Nirvana’s “Nevermind” or Green Day’s “Dookie.” But like all the bands it propelled or spawned, there would be no “Crooked Rain Crooked Rain” without the pioneering sound of “Slanted and Enchanted.”

ELEFANT – THE BLACK MAGIC SHOW = 3.5 STARS
Elefant’s “The Black Magic Show” is a perfectly listenable and enjoyable outing. No less and no more derivative than many of the “new” bands I’ve championed recently (Wolfmother, Rock & Roll Soldiers, etc.) so I cannot in good conscience give them crap for sounding so much like their influences. It is 80s/90s Cure/Morrissey, right? Admittedly not my favorite sub-genre of rock, hence the only slightly elevated rating.