The Halo Friendlies
The Halo Friendlies
Reviewed by Brian Vincent McGovern
While some of this can take on the timbre of The Breeders or even Morella's Forest, other moments remind one of The Go-Go's. Still, some parts even bring to mind a smoother Courtney Love vocal. I especially liked the rockabilly/spy music vibe of "Look Around." There's a healthy bit of variety, as "Flake-O (on My Scalp-O)" is quite an upbeat pop tune, "Sunrise Surprise" is a dance mix, and "Cry of Job" is more of a droning Starflyer-like song. "New Wave" is self-explanatory, as it pays tribute to that era of musicdom. Many lyrics discuss relationships, some bitterly, and some even bordering on obsessive. For example, the spry punk rock song "Love Sick" admits, "I follow you and I hide in the shadows when I see you with another girl..." and then implores, "Give me just one reason why you're avoiding me right now..." Uh, I'll give you a reason: You give me the creeps. The song, like all the others, is pretty cool, actually. Everything on this self-titled debut is played fairly well, but instrumental production could be better.