The question with bands like
Spitalfield is always the same: can they grow and mature without losing the edginess and passion that initially attracted their fan base? So far, the answer seems to be yes.
Spitalfield's second album for the Victory label does a nice job of balancing enhanced sonics (courtesy of alt rock star producer
Ed Rose) and sometimes intricate vocal harmonies with solid, gutsy guitar and straightforward songwriting. Nothing here will offend or disappoint those who fell in love with Remember Right Now, and those for whom this album constitutes an introduction to
Spitalfield will almost certainly want to go back and fill in their collections with the group's earlier releases. If Stop Doing Bad Things fails to yield any truly superlative high points, well, maybe that's just another way of saying that
Spitalfield is one consistent band. Actually, "Tampa Bum Blues" does pack a distinctive wallop, and "Building a Better City by Design" sort of offers an extra-heavy dose of good fist-pumping fun as well. But none of the other tracks falls far behind those two in quality. Recommended. ~ Rick Anderson