Album three is the charm for this D.C. manic-power trio. It's as lyrically ambitious as 2008's
What Did You Do During the War, Daddy? Eric Tischler's rock opera about a citizen, outraged by Bush's administration, turning violent radical -- only concerning a more common conundrum: the genesis and implications of two cheaters falling madly in love. Like his lyrical hero
Pete Townshend, and friend
the Wedding Present's David Gedge, Tischler is unfailingly honest about the double edges involved in flouting societal mores, both from within and without. This he sets to the band's notable
Dinosaur Jr./
Ride/
Swervedriver/
Who grungy-shoegaze/punk-mod-soul-power op maelstrom, punctuated by monster drummer Pete Nuwayser's flying fills (Hurrah: the wizened Nuwayser no longer obfuscates Tischler's soaring melodies by overplaying, bashing only battering beats on verses, then pulling his pyrotechnics in optimum spots.) One could sure have an affair with this, a blasting, catchy, thoughtful record. ~ Jack Rabid, The Big Takeover