The Harsh Light Of Day:
Call it the gradual acceleration of Fastball. The Austin-based trio's debut, Make Your Mama Proud, was mostly forgettable, anonymous alternative pop. Their sophomore release, All the Pain Money Can Buy, upped the ante with more confident songwriting and a bona fide classic in "The Way." Album number three is The Harsh Light of Day, by no means a classic but another step forward. The first single, "You're an Ocean," benefits from a sky-high hook and the infectious piano pounding of Billy "Get Back" Preston. Speaking of the Beatles, the influence of the lads from Liverpool is pronounced on Harsh Light's production flourishes; the band opens up to heavier use of strings, vibes, and lighthearted steel guitar. Highlights include the slightly Southern-fried ballad "Don't Give Up on Me," "Wind Me Up" (which sounds like a haunted, forgotten Elvis Costello tune), and the jaunty opener of "This Is Not My Life."
All The Pain Money Can Buy:
On this second album, these rockers from Austin, Texas, demonstrate a flair for perfect mid-'60s pop epitomized by the Kinks and the early Who.
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The opening track, "The Way," was an early break-out hit for the trio, but the entire album offers similarly uptempo serenades. It's a surprising direction for a band known for its hard-rocking live sets, but an early clue of their fondness for romantic hokum came on their remake of Bacharach & David's "This Guy's in Love with You" from 1997's Lounge-A-Palooza tribute album. Some of these songs actually come off tougher live, but that doesn't detract from the simple pleasures of this record, which is smooth, smart, and moving.
Copyright Amazon.com, 2000
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