PFR

Item: Disappear
Author: Chris Estey

Disappear

(2001)

Reviewed by Chris Estey

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Label Squint EntertainmentHM Magazine #91September/October 2001

ccm pop rock power pop rock

This was a good move for Squint Records, releasing this well-done reunion album of one of the more noteworthy (though slick) art-pop bands of the 90s. There seems to be a newfound appreciation for pure, artful, well-produced pop-rock these days. Considering the Poor Old Lu revival, and the smooth ascent of Switchfoot, this seamless comeback record should succeed at its game.

PFR — vocalist / guitarist Joel Hanson, bassist / vocalist Patrick Andrew, and drummer Mark Nash — came into the music scene originally with their Beatlesque splendors at a time when a downer vibe and downtuned chords seemed the only "alternative." While not really sounding anything like Poor Old Lu, both bands dominated a nice chunk of fandom with a mix of styles that seemed both contemporaneous and nostalgic. For POL, it was the funky psychedelic vibe of grunge's seminal rock aesthetic roots; but for PFR, it was the sweet and sugary confections of Fab Four-inflected radio pop. Both bands were artful, but while POL and other more timeless 90s alternative rock bands mined the poetic, PFR stuck to their crisp, perfect accessible pop form, yet infused genuinely avant-garde cleverness into the odd content and eclectic instrumentation of their sound.

The group has had scads of number one singles, soundscanning over 600,000 copies of their albums. It's a little unclear why they originally broke up. But last year, while contributing a new song to the noteworthy Roaring Lambs compilation, they felt renewed and henceforth recorded the ironically named Disappear.

Disappear has some songs that intrigue at first, and become addictive after just a few listens ("Gone," "All Ready," the latter sounding like a perkier, less self-obsessed Third Eye Blind). The lyrics are not necessarily cryptic, but while refreshingly avoiding obvious cliches or platitudes, also do not attempt any sort of revelatory commentary or sincere confession or even alluring imagery. As much as I enjoy this album, and as odious as comparisons are, I don't hear this band being capable of crafting a "Company Car" or "Sickly." In terms of the pop aesthetic, though, the lack of such depth won't be considered a deficiency to their many fans.