| Artist: |
Lifter Puller |
| Title: |
"Fiestas + Fiascos" |
| Label: |
French Kiss Records
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| Reviewed by: |
Bushman |
| Rating: |
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Originality always paints a surprising canvas. Lyrically superb, emotionally
commanding and intelligently delivered in small bursts of inside jokes and
flows of the purest poet spirit. Vocalist Craig Finn is a different fish
altogether both with his foggy tone and genius timed delivery. Lifter Puller
and their oft "emo" tagged compatriots in sound (Dismemberment Plan, Promise
Ring) are the hopeful antithesis to the overblown macho metal of late.
"Think about what you've got, and compare it to what I've got, now what do
you think my girl wants?" opens the moog(?) driven "Space Humping $19.99" and
is a standout among an album of standouts. "Lake Street Is For Lovers" is an
original diversion of a one idea song that bounces along on a hip "Charlie
Brown Theme" like piano bounce while Finn throws downs lines of observation
"Your arms look just like speaker chords - you crawled out of the pager
store" that are played opposite some sampled bits of someone's wisdom
"Smoking weed and making money!" and again, great hook of melody delivered in
a very nontraditional format. "It's never just the Hoffenreffer - It's never
just the Bartles and James" - of the big hook break in, "Nice, Nice" with its
snaking lounge leads - "Turn off these pagers - yeah, this party's outrageous
- everyone left - and now the crash is contagious" with sweetest uplifting
guitar breaks accentuated on their down stroke with just a dash of horn
section. Classy while maintaining a sort of pop integrity. The song then
goes on to describe how Jenny can score through the mail slot. Interested?
You should be because this is a rare band that can push these weird buttons
within you even though you're not quite clear why. This is on the artsy side
so if you think Kid Rock is "dope"; this is way over your head. For the rest
of us, indulge with admiration.
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