Editorial Reviews Music Review:
Music Review
Mozart: Violinkonzerte 1-5; Konzertate Symphonie
Piæ Cantiones Early Finnish Vocal Music
Now Sound of Ursula 1000 [Extra tracks] [Import]
Nature Never Did Betray the Heart That Loved Her [Import]
Nur Das Beste (Die Grossten Hits) [Import]
One Size Fits All [Original recording remastered]
Masked and Anonymous [Soundtrack]
Amazon.com
Their hearts may have been charmed by the jangly Anglo-pop of the Byrds and Big Star, but the Bigger Lovers' ears are cocked wisely towards the angular, melodic wit and indie spirit of bands like the dB's, Beechwood Sparks, and Flaming Lips. The Philadelphia foursome return here with a stripped-down jewel of a third album that manages to up the pop ante of their focused '02 sophomore standout, Honey From the Hive. The hook-rich effervescence of tracks like "I Resign" and "Ninja Suit" are undercut nicely by guitarist/vocalist Brett Tobias' dry snarl, while bassist Scott Jefferson adds his own world-weary, nasal charm to standouts like "Peel It Away" and the throat-grabbing opener "You, You, You." Powered by an insistently nervous rhythmic sense that's rooted in everything from the Who to XTC, the Lovers' jaundiced takes on love (or something like it) veer from the bitter heat of "Blowtorch" to "For Christ's Sake," a chiming, soulful holiday dirge for everyone who's had their heart broken while everyone else was joyously decking the halls. -- Jerry McCulley