THE AWKWARD STAGE
Heaven Is For Easy Girls (Mint)
Reviewed by John Sekerka

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You know something's not quite right here. What does a back-seat shot of an over-aged wire-faced prom hopeful about to pin a corsage on his inflatable doll date have to do with the seemingly sweet pop melodies contained within? It's an image that is both funny and disturbing, and about to literally explode, which upon further evaluation, parallel the musical contents. The Awkward Stage (Shane Nelken and his Vancouverite friends) deliver a grand orchestrated piece of sunny pop tunes that touch everything from ballad era Queen to the forlorn magic of Luna. Yup it's all here, tricky guitar riffs, lush horn section blows, sumptuous harmonies, and just like the cover, there's a certain edge to keep you from totally settling in. This may be the best of the much hyped B.C. power pop scene (New Prnographers and all the offshoot bands) yet.

© 2007 - John Sekerka