TSAR
Tsar (Hollywood)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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Sometimes they play power pop exactly the way it's supposed to be played, and they even have a mini-classic ("Kathy Phong Is The Bomb") to show for it. When they're doing that I just love Tsar, and I want to jump on that bandwagon and arrange interviews and live linkups and animated banners and come to your house and play it for you in your sleep, whispering "this is called 'Ordinary Gurl.' You just sleep and let the sounds sink in. I'll be back tomorrow." And to be honest, the trappings are there most of the time: slam-bang drums, one guitar crunching while one is buzzing, bass locked in tight with a solid kick drum and, most important, ultra-tight vocal harmonies.

Do you get the feeling there's a "but" coming?

There are two, actually. The first is a general complaint with the production, which has poured so much varathane over it all that the power and the pop are pretty much behind the glass. "Look, Billy, that represents what power pop was like back in the day. Let's move on to the next exhibit, now, they're closing soon." I mean, "The Girl Who Wouldn't Die" is so heavily produced that the band has no choice but to sound like late period Electric Light Orchestra, fer Chrissakes.

Which brings up But #2: there's just a general feeling that you've heard most of this before. Even the killer "Kathy Fong Is The Bomb," has an intro that, presented blind to a roomful of people, would certainly bring cheers of "cool, man, The Sweet!!!"

After several spins of this CD I mostly just find myself guessing at how great they probably were before they were snagged up and handed to a producer. Still, there's some good sounds here, and I have a feeling this band may decide to record something raw in the not too distant future, and that's when we'll really know what they're about.

© 2001 - DJ Johnson