1x*****, 5x****
You can't go wrong with a pop masterpiece like "Jetfighter"*****, which while being the best introduction ever, sets kind of an unfair expectation for the rest of the album. While there are several other great songs, none has this kind hopping/fist pumping energy. Wonderfully melodic "Stupid Einstein"**** is closer to a twee REM, and is more typical of the rest of the album. The heavy synths on "On My Own"**** are more new wave, but the slippery, tuneful lead guitar is the best of power pop. The sound of "When Lightning Starts"**** may be familiar in the hits of The Waitresses, but this is perfectly constructed. One fallback sound is influenced by the Monkees, such as on "Fall To The Ground" and very similar "Tomorrow", and the light pop of "And So We Run" almost could be mistaken for The Bangles. "A Day In Erotica" is an interesting dreamy bit of pop, and "In My Own Time" is a fun cover of The Bee Gees.
Debut EP Baroque Hoedown opens with "Cantaloupe Girlfriend"****, which despite the title doesn't sound at all like Robyn Hitchcock, it's as perfect pop as you will hear. "As Real As Real"**** has a more pronounced "Be My Baby" Groove and has a grittier sound than the album that followed. "Majorie Tells Me" and "Sorry" are on the more energetic side, which keeps this EP more consistent than Sixteen Tambourines, which slips a bit when the energy settles down. The guitar hook of "Around The World" is totally stolen from the Monkees; but while generic as a closer, for the clunker of the disc it's still pretty catchy.
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