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Imagine you're at your favorite local mid-sized indie
venue, all set to check out (insert Cool Headlining Act
here). You got there a little earlier than normal, and
having nothing better to do, you decide to take in the
opening act. That's where The High Score enters the
story. Their first couple of songs are winners, and your
friends arrive to catch you in the midst of some hearty
toe tapping. Upon their arrival, you immediately assume
your jaded hipster posture, and subsequently find each
song registering lower and lower on the richter scale.
It's not that the songs aren't good -- they're just a
little too consistent, the sort of stuff you'd have to
really familiarize yourself with to properly enjoy. And
then there's a horrendous song toward the end of the set
-- one so bad that you almost lose all interest in the
band. Besides, Cool Headlining Act is who you came to
see, so it's not like this opener matters...but you
still haven't totally written The High Score off, and by
night's end you find yourself with Sexy Losers in
hand. Hey, you'll really like the songs once they're
stuck in your head, and after all, you need something to
pop in on the ride home -- and that terrible song
probably won't be on the disc.
Well, you were partially right. Sexy Losers
does get better with each listen as the hooks embed
themselves in your long term memory. Honestly, how could
you go wrong with the High Score? They've got
Superdrag's keen sense of melody, Sugar's propensity for
lacing pop songs with blistering riffs, and a GBV-ish
sort of ragtag charm. Sadly, that horrible song made it
on the album as well, and it's called "Mohawks and
Birkenstocks". It's not really that bad until the
lead singer breaks out of the thick groove with an
embarrassingly hackneyed scream and the rest of the band
contributes some unconvincing gang vocals. But your CD
player has a skip button, so it's not a big deal. You
knew going into it that Sexy Losers was simply a
fun pop diversion -- a breather between five hour
rotations of the Cool Headlining Acts of the world.
There's really nothing to be disappointed about. -- Phillip
Buchan
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