 |
tdh |
 |
|
|
Opinions |
|
|
|
Reviews |
|
|
|
E.S.M |
 |
Earth and Sun and Moon
|
Earth and Sun and Moon |
Retro mania this time around, with a fast-paced mid-60's dance beat, trippy amplification effects, ringing rhythm guitars, blaring lead guitars, Booker T.-inspired electric organ, mellotron, layered harmony vocals, and shuffling, authentic-sounding acoustic drums. There are even some touches like harmonica, wah-wah pedals, 12-string guitars, and backwards instruments. "Feeding Frenzy" is a good example of the resulting MG's-meets-the Beatles blend; the eco-pop title track and the madly arpeggiated "In The Valley" are so cheery they almost sound like 10,000 Maniacs. It's a heck of a lot more focused and tuneful than most of their records, with spotless performances and just the right amount of production gimmickry - each and every song has a catchy chorus. The only minus is that it falls right in the mainstream of mid-90's alternative rock; a lot of similar but less accomplished records are being put out these days. The cleverly produced flag-burning anthem "Truganini" was a substantial international and US hit; the jangly, up-tempo pop protest number "My Country," the seriously psychedelic but impressively melodic "Outbreak Of Love" and the shimmering, riff-crazed "Drums Of Heaven" also were released as singles, with the latter two becoming hits in the US.
Rating: ****
Reviewer: John Alroy