After the American-country-rock-meets-
the-Stone-Roses sound of
the Bluetones' sophomore release
Return to the Last Chance Saloon, press on the band indicated they were up for a change in image and sound. Most suggested that the band's new sound was somewhat influenced by new wave, a seemingly bizarre and somewhat intriguing suggestion. What was produced, however, was considerably different. One track, the excellent paranoid rocker "Mudslide," which is complete with a new wavey keyboard hook, did sound like articles had hinted, but the rest of the disc was, well, more
Bluetones. On every
Bluetones release, they seem to get close to creating an excellent and truly memorable album, and then they end up coming up just short because something about their music just doesn't quite seem right. That is exactly what plagues Science & Nature from start to finish. There are excellent moments, such as the country-influenced single "Autophilia (How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Car)," but much of the album is composed of pleasant, but unspectacular, material similar to what made up the first two
Bluetones albums. Granted, the material is much more concise and there is a bit more of a pop leaning, but at its heart, Science & Nature is pure
Bluetones from start to finish. ~ Jason Damas