REVIEW: Showoff, The Hush (Warner)
- Michael Van Gorden
Are Showoff a few days late for the dance, or are they about to start their own? Green Day, Rancid and others tried somewhat successfully to put a punk mark on the mainstream, but the revolution only lasted a little bit.
I think if Showoff had been at the forefront, it might have lasted longer and still be going strong today. While one cannot minimize what those other bands accomplished, Showoff take it a step further. Taking their cue from new wave originals such as Elvis Costello and mixing in the raw punk energy of the Buzzcocks, all the while combining the pop smarts of both, Showoff have given us a CD full of smart songs full of energy and fun. And you can dance to it!! Born out of the Chicago punk scene, Chris and Dave Envy, singer/guitarist and bass player respectively, teamed up with Dan Castady on drums and Graham Jordan on lead guitar to form Showoff, the name coming from frontman Chris being described often as a showoff.
The CD kicks off with the full frontal guitar attack of "backstab." Full of punk vocal harmonies and a driving back beat, you know you're in for a good time. But this band is not only about punk fury. For proof, listen to "falling star." This song echoes the best of the new wave sound before it became another Madison Avenue marketing scheme. Think of bands like The Jags or The Vapors, and you have a good idea what Showoff is capable of.
Lyrically, the songs are intelligent and full of feeling, such as in the beautiful ballad "Unspoken Words": "Blind man inside my head. Tell me again. Not everything begins, but everything must end."
The band's familiarity with each other (they claim they do everything together) can be heard in the tight, cohesive way the songs come across. You'll also hear shadows of The Figs' "Favorite Shirt" stutter-stop style in "Bully," as well as a hint of Green Day in "Gone."
All in all, you'll hear four guys who love to play rock and roll together having a great time.
One of the nice things about getting to review CDs is that you get to hear music that you might not normally get to hear or might not pick up on a whim. Sadly, Showoff might have been one of them, simply because of the old "too much music, too little time" scenario. But don't let it happen it to you. Check out Showoff.
