THE PAT MCGEE BAND
Shine (Giant)
Reviewed by Bill Holmes

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It's not that there's anything patently offensive about Shine. The band is versatile, featuring banjo, mandolin and B3 organ in addition to the standard guitar/bass/drum arrangements, and the vocals and harmonies are pleasant enough. Hell, Andy Wallace mixed it and Bob Ludwig mastered it, so you know there's someone out there who thinks these guys are great. I just couldn't find one moment on this record that raised my blood pressure, warmed my heart or made me interrupt what I was doing to pay attention. It's just... competent.

They don't noodle incessantly like Phish or overplay everything like Dave Matthews (did I mention that the vocals were pleasant?), and they aren't as pretentiously boring as Bruce Hornsby. But somehow I see fans of those bands (and yes, I know there are many) as the only audience for this music--a gymnasium full of college sophomores, eyes closed, gently swaying back and forth as the patchouli and cheap pot wafts across their nostrils. If, at gunpoint, I had to dangle a band in front of you for comparison, I'd say this is pretty close to the mellower side of Hootie And The Blowfish. But I don't think Hootie and The Blowfish are anything worth altering my life for either.

Oh, what the hell, I'll take a stand--The Pat McGee Band is better than Hootie And The Blowfish!

There, I've done my job.

© 2000 - Bill Holmes