The Soviettes

Item: LP II
Author: Mike Leech

LP II

(2004)

Reviewed by Mike Leech

Discogs Bandcamp

Label Adeline RecordsDecapolisJuly 2004

garage rock pop punk punk

It's so hard reviewing mediocre albums. What's a guy like me to say... "It's pretty good, but also not very good?" ...... "They're better than Color Me Badd but not as good as The Beatles?" I mean, how do you describe something that's just kind of "there"? It's like trying to explain time, or illustrate air. Where do you begin? Where do you end? What's the point? Luckily for me, The Soviettes' punk-pop revivalist debut, LP II, is a few shades brighter than gray, but it's still a little too close for comfort.

With a sound criminally reminiscent of countless other female-fronted punk-pop bands like Pretty Girls Make Graves, The Go-Go's and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, this Minneapolis quartet builds their generally minute-and-a-half-long jams on a foundation of raw energy. You can tell right away that these gals (and guy) are having a lot of fun being in a band. Their childlike exuberance is contagious at times, like on the hook-heavy opener, "Ten", as well as on a few other insanely catchy tracks like "Pass the Flashlight", "Portland" and "Channel X".

In the end, this undeniably enjoyable record suffers from a glaring lack of ingenuity, variation and maturity. But hey, these gals (and guy) aren't trying to change the world. They're just out there having a good time -- and writing a couple outstanding pop songs in the process. This album is far from stellar, but if you can look past a few cheesy lyrics and a little repetition, I guarantee LP II will, at the very least, get your hips shakin' a bit.

2.5/4