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Carolina, & DC

The Capitol Years: Let Them Drink
[Burn & Shiver]

This bands been getting all sorts of press lately.  They opened up for the first Pixies reunion show as well and were hand-picked by the band to do so.  Apparently their three releases vary in style a bit, but Let Them Drink is a heavy garage pop record that sounds a lot like The Kinks to me, at least on opening track juicers.  Other songs sound a bit like the Strokes or even Oasis, without those bands distinctive vocalists of course.  It is a pretty good album, but it doesnt really carve any new territory in rock n roll.

The music is rather intricate and solid, and the vocals pass.  There are some nice vocal harmonies in parts too, again reminiscent of The Kinks to me.  My only complaint is that there is no distinctive style or message jumping out of this LP that makes you think anything beyond thats nice riff right there.  Such things could be accomplished with some slightly more insightful lyrics.  Songs such as Solid Gold, which do have some nice lyrics, generally stand out as the better tracks.

The band is obviously pointing back to a time when it was much simpler to be in a rock band, and you could simply lose yourself in your own sugar-coated musicianship.  There seem to be nods to indie rock as well, but The Capitol Years sound a bit too chipper to be the next Guided by Voices.  Overall this is a strong release, and I may find myself going back to this album to check out their great rock n roll melodies whenever Im in a nostalgic mood for the 60s.  Whether The Capitol Years will have an impact in 2005 remains to be seen.

The Capitol Years Official Website

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