You gotta like a power pop act that comes out with a record seemingly every year.
You gotta love said act when the albums just keep getting better.
Album number three from the Bores builds upon the musical success that was last year's We Think Alike, itself one of the Pub's Top 5 albums of 2010. But, where that effort played around with a softer, more ethereal quality, Welldone & Charred rocks more.
Oh my, how it rocks. "Biology" is an "everything and the kitchen sink" kinda production that will have even the most jaded (or sedentary) person up on their feet. Yes. It makes me want to dance. You got a problem with that?
"Freake" is another great rocker with a lyric about the oddly appealing dorky girl a lot of us wanted to get to know better in high school. (Why am I thinking about Winona Ryder in the movie Lucas?) "Prettyhead" builds up a nice head of steam as well, though in many ways the most interesting of the harder tracks is the finale, "Same Time Tomorrow." Whatever I was expecting on this album it wasn't to hear Bores' lead singer John Whildin channel his inner Weird Al Yankovic, and to do so perfectly. Though I'd challenge anyone to sing the lines...
That guy hasn't got a clue
his hair's got a lot of mousse
and I doubt that he knows kung fu
...without reminding everyone of Weird Al. It certainly helps the song is a riot first note to last.
The album also features the Bores' patented slightly funky groovy sound on tracks like "Making a Sun" and the great "Expect Me Now."
Strangely, the absolute best moment on the album may be the track "Band of Thieves" which contains echoes of English folk music... medieval English folk music at that. Add ghostly guitar sounds and a wonderful backing vocal (by Lina Chern who deserves a shout out here), and the song takes on a haunting quality all its own.
This is a great album
Grade: A-/A
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