REVIEW: Love American Style, Undo (Oxygen/BMG)
- Patrick Carmosino
Melodic, ear-catching, American 'alterna-rock' (ugh!) is becoming a right rarity as the 90's rot to a conclusion. But Love American Style stand out in a field of dread not by default but by sheer talent and inspiration. Undo is a charming mish-mash of mixed tempos, ranging from the Brit-pop, bass-driven title track to the power chord Foo-esque "Not About To Lose It" to the airy accordion-aided "I Know You Know".
Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Rob Montejo has long had a knack for creating memorable hooks. His previous band, Smashing Orange released one of the ultimate samples of the short-lived dreampop/shoe gazing set with the single "My Deranged Heart" . On Undo , Montejo revisits some of that territory with "Be In Your Body," which takes the air out of his previous incarnation and replaces it with some crunchiness and soul and "The Sky Will Be Milk," which puts the air right back in to dazzling effect.
What also emerges on this record is the depth of Montejo's voice, which may have been doubted in the past because of all the sound layers going on but comes out full and rich and has a higher-ended Brian Wilson-circa-Pet Sounds timber to it, especially on "Radio Smile" and the rather lovely "Anodyne".
Love American Style is rounded out by drummer Bob Furlong and bassist Steve Haley, who, by the sound of the title track, seem to have locked in nicely as a rhythm section. To many, Undo may not hit instantly, but a couple of listens should prove this one a rightful sleeper for 1997. Unlike their name, Love American Style aren't about vintage hip/kitsch nostalgia. They merely keep the ethic of pop alive in a mindlessly rocking world, which nowadays is food for life.
