There's a pop-friendly sensibility to the Julie Puppets' self-titled EP, particularly on the second track "She," which has a Top 40 flavor to it. I can't say it's something I would be drawn to, but the more I go through my CD collection, I realize I've chosen music that doesn't sell records and I probably have no idea what's truly appealing to the mass public. There's a Wayne Coyne quality to Russ Staiger's vocals, so the vibe isn't total pop/Top 40 - there is some indie rock tossed in. It's kind of like indie rock with a gloss - the songs aren't super edgy, but there's an edge; they aren't super catchy, but there's a catchiness to them.
The most predominantly catchy thing about the Julie Puppets' sound is Rich Tudor's bass playing: It's very bouncy, never boring and seems to bring a bright side to the band's more darker songs like "Skunkleine." The overall quality of the disc is good, and you can tell they took some time to get the songs where they wanted them and I dig a lot of the synth work.
Overall, this disc presents a couple of faces for the Julie Puppets - both a pop vibe and a melancholy-indie rock. It's kind of hit and miss with me on how I feel about it, but it is enjoyable. I think I need a full-length album to make a complete opinion about these guys. NH
www.myspace.com/thejuliepuppets |
