Why the hell am I hearing The Pretenders here? Okay Thursday owe more to the sunny Cali-twang of Jenny Lewis (with and without Rilo Kiley) than to that post-punk band from Ohio. Singer Sarah Korval reminds me much more of a sedate Johnette Napolitano than a sedate Chrissie Hynde, and there is no echo of James Honeyman-Scott’s signature twelve-string-with-chorus sound. And yet…and yet. Subliminal channels run shallow, I guess, because there, in addition to the aforementioned Jenny Lewis sound, is the sound of the early Pretenders. Honestly? I can’t explain that any further. But there it is. Fun in Flats is a breezily pleasing affair, contradictory in its reliance on major tonalities supporting lyrical themes of resignation, fading glamour and failed expectations. The band is endearingly loose, and guitarist Brad San Martin is adept at all clean-tone styles, filling in with tasteful chord extensions and arpeggios as needed. The album sometimes follows one linear path a bit too far before veering off, but there always is a veer off. Some things work better than others: “Nothing I Do†totally hits the attempted mark, while “Dance†feels like an attempt at (pre-murder) Phil Spector nostalgia. But overall, Fun in Flats hits where it wants to hit and delivers. Even when the delivery sounds like a band that the band doesn’t sound like. (Brian Westbye)
Links: Official Site: http://okaythursday.com
_________________M.O.R.E. REVIEWS___________________
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z