REVIEW: Fat Amy, Five Way Switch (Rubber Records)
- Arabella Clauson
Solid, staunchy meat-and-potatoes midwestern rock drives Fat Amy's indie label release, Five Way Switch. Lead singer Bobby Guiney's vocals recall a more subdued Kurt Cobain with the range of a glee club choirboy. Without thinking twice, he could probably, quite successfully, segueway into Andrew Lloyd Webber's Requiem for an encore performance. Edgy alternative trademark guitars push the album through some brief rough spots on "Chili Red." Suprisingly smooth vocals and sincere lyrics emerge in the midst of "Come Undone" with "She never said you were too afraid to ask/How will you ever forget me/I come undone." With the common vagueness characteristic of much contemporary music, the lyrics leave plenty of room for personal interpretation. Some glam rock overtones introduce "In The Middle," though stunningly beautiful vocals emerge in more subdued moments. Guiney could be a reincarnated Simon Le Bon in a 1990s do-it-yourself rock era. He certainly has the vocal range and boyish good looks which endeared the Duran Duran singer to millions.
Recent national circuit predecessors from Michigan like The Verve Pipe helped pave the group's way out of East Lansing obscurity. Producer Tim Patalan (Sponge, Fretblanket) showcases the rough guitar and rhythmic undercurrents which have brought Fat Amy success in the midwest and on the Internet indie scene. Before a stellar performance at the South by Southwest Music Festival, the band shared the stage with the Goo Goo Dolls, They Might Be Giants, and the Verve Pipe. Their live performances are noted for their intense energy and audience rapport - with good reason as Guiney has a permanent smile plastered from ear to ear, and the whole band breaks a sweat within 30 seconds of taking the stage.
Five Way Switch is a spectacular debut album, capturing the essence of the intense live performance, and signaling there is something unusual going on near the Great Lakes. With the popularity of the AWARE Compilations (on which Fat Amy makes a recent appearance), the region produces bands quicker than Florida ships out bundles of citrus fruit.
