The Life You're Faking

Album Review

With no thanks to some celebrities noted in the sleeve, this group takes their music with a pinch of comedic salt and some rather well trodden lightweight power pop clichés. A quirky start to this album isn't an omen of things to come, but "Everyday" appears to run out of steam or gas approximately two-thirds into the song. During some parts of each song, the tightness of the chorus is wasted by a jangle guitar riff or off-timed hi-hat, which seems to remove the proverbial guts of the tune, particularly on "Tina's Good at Everything." It seems to be the exception though when lead singer Mick Chorba slows the tempo down on "Dismembered" and "Real Girl Now," revealing a side in the vein of Marah, as well as the Gin Blossoms. When the band goes for a looser, barroom feel, it certainly pays off, with the handclaps and saxophone on "Valerie Valerie (NJT)." The second half of the record is far superior to the first, with a deeper, richer sound pervading a majority of the quality material. "Whoever" is saved for last, probably because it's the highlight. A good and solid album, but not flawless.