Hopes and expectations don’t always pan out. Intrigued by this Austin, TX foursome covering XTC ’s 1979 post-punk classic (probably their catchiest single at that, in a brilliant career) “Making Plans For Nigel” on this LP, and a glance at press materials dangling a Posies, Apples in Stereo, and Pernice Brothers ballpark, it seems a shame to find an album so sanitized for our alternarock radio (which doesn’t even really exist any more!) protection. Jason Garcia can sing, and there’s certainly no problem with the songwriting, albeit it’s not in the pantheon of the above (no shame in that); it’s still accomplished and pleasantly hooky. No, the culprit is the completely bloodless production and the lack of committed attack in the group, as if they were afraid unadulterated, uncut passion might bother neighbors or parents or ruffle too many feathers. A few reviews I’ve seen suggested the Gin Blossoms for reference, which is wholly unfair—there is at least an air of minor melancholy to the acoustic-and-piano “Firefly,” and the freshened late ‘60s Beach Boys pastiche-pop of “Definitely” also goes out on a greater limb than anything by those disappointingly streamlined Arizonans—but it’s probably inevitable when the overall production and the arrangements seem so risk-less, so calculated to promote a big gesture rather than the innate and personal emotion that should lay behind it. Even the XTC cover takes zero chances, more or less Xeroxing Andy Partridge ’s original as if we never heard it. What you discern is that either they should go back to the first LP from 10 years ago, when Garcia played nearly everything himself, or they should find a way to open up and let loose as an ensemble more. For there’s nothing smarmy, banally bland, or halfhearted, and at times they do rock a bit, and adding “Live Without” to a playlist would do no one a gross disservice. It’s just an album that feels like a half a loaf from start to finish, and in a time of such superabundance, it’s too hard to swallow. (myspace.com/householdnames)
