Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

The last time I went through New Jersey, it smelled. That is about all I remember of my short stay. Readymade Breakup is doing their very best to get away from the armpit of the United States and onto your radio. Alive on the Vine is their second effort and it is by far their best.  I always love when a band uses the do-it-yourself method and comes through with a true piece of art. It has long been thought by many that bands have to sign to some sort of label to “make it big.” The last few years, there are bands such as Readymade Breakup disproving traditions once again.

No one is going to confuse this band as being innovative or groundbreaking, but they do what they know how to do best-make readymade(yes, I know, a bad pun) pop music with a rock flair. There are obvious influences on these tracks from Wings era Paul McCartney or what The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) may sound like if modernized for today’s listeners. Each track is catchy, but not catchy enough for radio producers whom insist on filling our ears with our daily dose of crap.

I hope more bands are out there making music like this thirty-four minutes of pop wonder. Each song invites more listens and the album is even more inviting as a whole. As long as they leave the smell in New Jersey, these guys can come around anytime.