THE COMA SAVANTS
Coma Savant (Uvulittle)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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When Madison, Wisconsin's Your Mom SRO suddenly changed their name and their concepts - three albums into their career, mind you - something much more interesting was born. Now known as The Coma Savants, they should be thought of as a different band because the move was more than a cosmetic one for album covers. Still quirky, The Coma Savants' quirks are a whole different category of quirks, and I'm happy to say they get under your skin and leave you feeling refreshingly silly. Vocalist/pianist Stephanie Rearick's songs are unlike anything I've heard, at least in one place. That is to say I may have heard a few bands accomplish a sound that reminds me of a day at the carnival (though this is like a day at the carnival while on hallucinogens), and I may have heard lyrics that flowed like a stream of consciousness from a girl tearing through life at breakneck speed, and it's all coming from a voice that's a bit reminiscent of Debbie Harry's, but I've never heard all of those elements in one place. I'd remember. With a band that is equal to the task, Rearick has something special here. Just how big an audience there is for this music without a genre-name, I can't begin to guess, but you there, Mr. or Mrs. Musically Adventurous, you're gonna be thrilled by this ride. My recommendation: buy a small bag of sawdust and a big cotton candy to provide the proper olfactory mood, turn off the lights and slip into a brief, fascinating coma.

© 2002 - DJ Johnson