The Vegas Nerve approach life tongue in cheek. Misery Loves Harmony is a mixture of straight-ahead rock and guitar solos mixed with a Camper Van Beethoven/Cracker sensibility with a soupcon of the Replacements thrown in just so you don't become complacent.
"CK Jeans" is about seeing that girl in a club and falling into instant lust. "Rock Songs" is a wry commentary about the Nerve's chosen profession:
I'll tell you how it's done.
It works for anyone
You let your emotions
Get it in motion
And then you take your pen and
something to write in;
and then you grab your guitar
and now you're a rock star.
Anyone can write songs...
It's not War and Peace, or even Bob Dylan, but man, it's fun.
"I Can't Help it if I'm Happy Without You" is self-explanatory, a different twist on a breakup song that lyrically recalls "One More Minute" by Weird Al Yankovic. "1980's," a time capsule piece, made me feel old:
I used to wear a legionnaire's cap with
34 buttons on the two flaps
I used to wear my concert jerseys:
Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and Ozzy.
I used to have a bi-level
and bang my head to "Shout at the Devil."
I used to wear red parachute pants...
"21st Century Love" pokes fun at dating, finding the solution in cyber-dating. It has a repetitive, droning, half-drunken chorus that lasts over two minutes. "Thrift Store" is a Replacements soundalike about love found, lost, and potentially found again. "Jeannie" is a plea to a woman that could be a Tom Petty song.
Misery Loves Harmony is filled with irony, humor, and some pretty good songs. The Vegas Nerve will not get on your nerves.
3.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Opus 2003Reviewed by Chris BrownI do not envy any band trying to make a name for themselves playing loose, grimy rock n' roll right now. With the media latched on to the garage rock movement as tight as they are right now, any move towards songs prominently featuring power chords and 4/4 rhythms is sure to get dismissed as yet another band jumping on the bandwagon and be filed away and forgotten. This is a risk that The Vegas…Similar sounding releases
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