There aren’t many singles this year that grab you as firmly on the shoulder as “Fine Line” by the Mood Swings. It starts with a thumping bassline, slides into a Sleater-Kinneyesque melody, and then there’s the chorus: pure sugar, like Letters to Cleo with sharper teeth.
The rest of “Come On Tell Me” isn’t as good as this song, but that’s a tough feat. That being said, it’s the afterthought touches that come across on these songs: the Little Richard “woohoo” on “Generation Y,” the driving piano on “Stir It Up,” the Go-Gos guitar jangle on “Knocked Down.”
I know it’s obnoxious to name-drop four times in a single paragraph, but with a band like the Mood Swings, it’s altogether fitting. Their music is everything you remember liking from different bands in your musical upbringing, from 60s garage rock to 80s new wave.
Produced my Flowers Studio pro Ed Ackerson, “Come On Tell Me” is a strong showcase for the trio that makes up The Mood Swings: Ashley Prenzlow, Sallie Watson on vocals and guitar, and Laura Bennett on drums. Both “Fine Line” and “Stir It Up” bear the producing mark of Jayhawk Gary Louris and his influence shows. The man knows how to sell a song and I bought those two right away.
Some of the subtle touches of the strong tracks could have helped the weaker ones, like “I Don’t Need You,” which sounds, smells and feels like nothing but filler.
Overall, the energy and drive of the record is contagious. Groundbreaking it’s not, but these are talented singers and musicians who sound like they’re having fun and want you to do the same. If you’re a sugar addict like me, there are far worse things in life. DB
www.themoodswings.com |
