When people see the label Interscope, the first thing they probably think of is Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails. The Campfire Girls are not like Nine Inch Nails; there are no computer samples that loop over, and the songs aren't complex. Does that make them any less of a great band? Not in the least.
Jon Pikus (drums) and Christian (guitar/vocals) united first. They were living together in a communal-type house in Hollywood. Jon was playing drums for the L.A. band El Magnifico at that time. When Andrew (bass) was introduced by a mutual girlfriend the Campfire Girls were complete. Jon left El Magnifico earlier this year and is now living in a new house with his bandmates.
If you take the raw energy and distorted hooks of Nirvana and combine it with the pop vocal and lyric style of the Lemonheads, you have the Campfire Girls. And just like both of these bands ,the Campfire Girls can't be categorized into one type of music.
Some of the best songs on the album are also the simplest. "Quick Phone Call" and "p.f.a.m.g." are good examples; the structure of these songs are "verse-chorus-bridge" type songs that builds, and builds and then it comes down and starts over. But they always have a hook in the song, sometimes a riff or sometimes a lyric, that makes you want to listen to it and makes the song anything but boring.
Then they also have songs that are on the other side. Songs like "Homework" and "Junkman" sound as if you got together with your friends down the street, turned up the distortion and are jamming in your garage. The rest of the songs fall in or between these two points.
One of the best songs isn't even a listed track. If you fast forward after the last song is over you will get to a hidden song.; a three minute cover of the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever". No weird instruments in this version, just the three Campfire Girls playing at full force.
This is a wonderful album. The only downside to Mood Enhancer is that it is only an EP. Six new songs plus "Little Wolverine" (from their first EP) make a short CD. But it is good enough to keep you rocking until their full album comes out.
