The songs on this album were originally recorded in 1994, shortly after
the Campfire Girls had been snagged by Interscope on the strength of their performances around Los Angeles and a couple of self-produced singles. However, substance abuse and personal squabbling led to the band falling apart before the album could be released, and the 15 tracks that had been recorded in their basement studio were shelved. When the band re-formed in 2000 (at the urging of
Stone Temple Pilots'
Scott Weiland, who would produce the band's subsequent recording sessions), interest in those older recordings revived and most of them were released as
Delongpre in 2002. They will not exactly come as a musical epiphany to most listeners. The trio trades for the most part in post-grunge clichés, offering sludgy mid-tempo textures and an almost complete lack of interesting melodies or hooks of any sort. "Thought Police" generates a refreshing level of punky heat, and "Homework" offers some melodic interest. But those are the only two significant bright spots on an album that, by the end, has begun to feel very, very long. Hopefully
the Campfire Girls' follow-up will offer a bit more.