Singer/guitarist Marc Ruvolo and drummer Davey Houle are not only two of the core members of
the Atari Star, but they're also co-owners of the Chicago indie label Johann's Face Records, for which their band records. This works out nicely for them, but it also leads to a problem similar to that faced by
Prince when he records without any helpers: it means stuff that sounds good to him but might not have made it past a more disinterested party gets onto the disc where it doesn't belong. The Atari Star's fourth full-length album is certainly attractive, with lots of jangly guitars and vintage keyboards and a generally bright, glistening sound. The problem is that it's almost completely devoid of hooks. That's not always a problem (there are great reggae songs and great death metal songs that are also devoid of hooks), but it's definitely a problem for this kind of bright, poppy music. Imagine
the Apples in Stereo with much better production and no hummable melodies, and you'll know just what to expect here. This does mean that subtle attractions stand out -- like the cute little oboe part on "The Be All End All" and the gently beautiful and heartbreaking ballad "Letter to Ernst." And if you listen a few times, you'll eventually start to feel the melodic shape of songs like "Serpentine" and "Vagrant's Waltz" (which is, incidentally, not a waltz). But you shouldn't have to listen that many times. Music like this isn't supposed to be hard work. ~ Rick Anderson