The Amps
Pacer
[4AD/Elektra]
Rating: 8.2
Initially, I wasn't sure if this record was for me. It seemed so lo-fi that
it was barely audible, the songs didn't stand out immediately, and I was just
like, "Jesus, compared to the Breeders, this is terrible."
After a couple more listens, I couldn't believe I wasn't pulled into the
awesome rock melodies and the brilliant lyrics from the beginning. The
lo-finess could be due to hanging around with four-track geniuses and fellow
Daytonians Guided by Voices. In fact, one of Pacer's standout tracks,
"I Am Decided," was co-written with Robert Pollard. Kim Deal set out to
record a different kind of record and came out with one that's so terrific,
it won't leave my discman for at least three days. Well, that's kind of a
long time, I guess.
-Ryan Schreiber