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THE WESTSIDE DAREDEVILS
All Things Small Produce A Spark (Lynn Point)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
Being a sucker for power pop, and a real sucker for anyone with the cajones to do something different, I'm knocked out by The Westside Daredevils. They clearly understand nearly everything there is to know about pop music and they present the elements that make us forget to inhale for a moment, like perfect harmony vocals and a million hooks, but they have a sneaky plan. They only wait one track for the hooks to grab you (and it's a safe bet they're right), and then they're veering into a very cerebral pop that is more dream than power.
The power returns from time to time, often building from the fading notes of something so dreamy you're caught off guard when the drums crash in. The mixes are loaded with acoustic and electric guitars, bass and drums, tambourines, shakers, keyboards, layers of vocal harmonies, what sounds like a circus organ and what I'm fairly sure is a theremin, not to mention a lead vocal, and yet it maintains an uncluttered feeling. At times the vocals are just a touch distorted - not enough to be annoying, but just enough to be interesting, which makes me wonder if it was intentional or bad engineering that became serendipity. I tend to believe it was intentional and the band's idea. There are so many ideas here that had to be thought out in advance. It seems clear that one or more members of The Westside Daredevils is a born arranger. The credits say "all songs written, arranged, performed, recorded and mixed by The Westside Daredevils," and as the songs were recorded at various Knoxville studios over a two year period and nobody is credited as producer, I think they forgot to add that to their list. Talent. Everywhere, talent.
Unless you live in Knoxville, you're probably not going to get much exposure to this clever band because the world doesn't seem to make stars out of the real talents. I recommend checking them out and following their career on your own. The music is your reward, pop fan.
[If you can't find this CD, take a spin to the band's label, Lynn Point Records. They'll hook you up.]
© 2002 - DJ Johnson