Flupejac
Like It Is
[Land Speed]
Rating: 2.3
Flupejac are bad. And now for broad, obvious simplifications for the sake of
filler.
Just how does one define "indie rock," anyway? Don't worry, I'm not going to
bore you with any definition. I certainly can't come up with one, at least
not without some serious over-analysis. I mean, people associate certain
aesthetics, sounds, and rhythms with indie rock, or whatever it is they've
come to correlate with the term. But there's also a complete division
between the terms "indie rock" and "independent rock." "Indie rock" has come
to represent a genre, a stylistic term; "independent rock" represents the
marketing standpoint.
Flupejac are not "indie rock"; Flupejac are "independent rock." They've
released their debut mini-LP, Like It Is, on their brand new label,
Land Speed Records. They're trying to generate word-of-mouth based on their
own DIY needs. And they've got plenty of people saying good things about them.
Hilary Rosen, for one, named them the Ultimate Band List's "Alternative
Pick of the Week." This already discourages indie rock fans, because something
indie can't also be alternative. Not to mention that Hilary Rosen is, in
fact, the ultimate be-all, end-all goddess of the dark underworld. But my
lawyers advise me to distance myself from that topic.
Alternative is a good way to describe Flupejac. Pick your Creed, your Goo Goo
Dolls, even some of your Nirvana, put 'em in a batter with some milk and
eggs, pour 'em in the frying pan, and you've got yourself some rancid
Flupejacs. They're the kind of band that Hilary Rosen would like.
They seem like they could have a hit pretty soon if they really work it,
which they seem to be doing successfully. So since they already have plenty
of good word of mouth, I really don't mind being the one nay-sayer of the
bunch so far.
"Brand New Heavy" kicks off the record with a sound made popular by the
Matchbox Twentys of the world, albeit slightly more driving, to make the Goo
Goo Dolls comparison more fitting. And there'd be no reason to quote lyrics,
other than to point out how ridiculously, laughably banal... Okay, so here's
the first verse: "Give yourself away, give yourself away/ Or just give
yourself the day/ What color is your loneliness?/ Is it blue or is it gray?"
And later in the song, he, like, replaces "your" with "my." Because he's
lonely, too! How subtle. Not even emo deserves this album. It doesn't even
deserve the term "album." Eight songs in 25 minutes! Weak!
Although it perfectly matches to the style represented on Like It Is,
the unremarkable vocal delivery by Chris McRitchie is entirely unpleasant
while it occurs, and forgotten immediately afterwards. Amongst the phalanx
of Creed clones that follow the first track, there's also a punk rave-up
that becomes later reminiscent of the early days of Nirvana, complete with
forced Cobain inflections on some of the lines. But you know, except for
that, the overused chord progressions, the tinny and unlistenably boring
solos, the production (too hi-fi to be lo-fi and vice versa), and the songs
in general, we've got a winner of a record. Hilary Rosen says so.
-Spencer Owen