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Metropulse - Knoxville, TN - October 26, 2000 |
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My Friend Speed - A Review from Eye on the Scene
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Say what you will about the local music scene—it might not be
everything that any of us want it to be, and may in fact just be a
pleasant depository of
perfect-for-a-Saturday-night-at-the-Longbranch-but-not-quite-ready-for-the-Big-Time pop rock. But is that such a bad thing? Not when a band
as tasteful and fun as the French Broads are representative of what's
going on.
The songs on My Friend Speed are basic upbeat power pop—melodic power chord riffing, delicate lead guitar lines, a swinging and supple rhythm section—that spans Todd Steed-inspired joke-rock ("Sunzabitches," "My Bottle"), surf instrumentals ("Serf"), mournful psychedelic meandering ("New Year's Day"), and, of course, melancholy summer's-end nostalgia ("On Saturdays," "Summer's Over"). John Baker's vocal talents aren't expansive, but they do all that the songs ask of them. It's the guitar work of Baker and, especially, Jim Rivers that carries My Friend Speed. Neat, precise, economical solos pop up exactly where they should, and understated lead lines support Baker's voice when they're needed. Rivers' tone is always perfect—guitar-nerd tweedly on "My Bottle," fuzzy on the droning "New Year's Day," full-on rock-out-loud on "Sunzabitches." The whole band, in fact, has good ears. They're not exactly laughing at themselves on My Friend Speed, but they're definitely grinning at the crowd.
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