keepers 2
keeper avg .133
The Rentals may not be a one-off venture, but they remain one-hit wonders. The second album is definitely more polished and professional than its predecessor, but is never as lovable and is rarely as memorable - except for occasionally being really bad. "Getting By" comes out swinging with the twangy guitar riffs and hooting Moog that gave The Rentals their 15 minutes. Feel good arena rock "Hello Hello"**** is gloriously fist-pumping and the goofily pounding "The Cruise"**** (and we sinnnnn-g - out of tune!) is fun. "Say Goodbye Forever" does have one unexpected Weezer-quality guitar riff that transitions of the choruses, but is usually a low-key drone. The loud rocker "Big Daddy C" is passable but lacks the dorky charm of its predecessor "Friends Of P". A little variety from the mid-tempo plod of its big hit is a good thing, as the ironically named "Keep Sleeping" and "Insomnia" rock with punk energy.
Much of the album seems to be about one specific girl, usually in Barcelona - "Getting By","She Says It's Alright", "Barcelona"; this rather intimate scope may or may not be a good thing depending on your point of view. "Man With Two Brains" doesn't work for a second, as Sharp's posturing and the voice-overs with terrible accents are create a discomfort that lasts forever. "She Says It's Alright" and "Overlee" should never have never made it past the living room, and the sleepy concluding tracks "My Head Is In The Sun" (co-written with Rivers Cuomo) and "Jumping Around" peter off into nothing.
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