REIGNING SOUND
Time Bomb High School (In the Red Records)
Reviewed by Holly Day

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This band is one of the better revampers of classic garage rock I've heard lately, probably because they sound like they're playing music they actually like, and not because they think their potential audience might like to hear something like this. The songs are great, all gritty and raw and bouncy and noisy, with some soulful, slow, deliciously cheesy ballads thrown in for good measure, with lead singer Greg Cartwright belting out the lyrics with all the passion of a televangelist. The lyrics are wonderfully sarcastic and biting, turning simple love songs into "I don't really care one way or another" songs instead. The high note of these pieces, however, is the oft-used horrible electric organ that must have come out of someone's grandmother's garage and sounds like it's going to start sputtering and short out any minute.

© 2003 - Holly Day