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Populuxe "A Foggy Day in Brooklyn"
Volume & Tone, released: 1997
Populuxe from deepest Brooklyn play their music like it's for keeps. This, their first release, comes on very strong. It's a powerful brew of serious music. The players all have a high level of musical excellence. The songs cover a lot of territory, straight ahead pop verging towards rock, lounge-core, Jazz inspired guitar breaks, did I mention dreamy? Theres some dreamy-ass high pitched vocals sprinkled about as well. The songs that kill me here are the ones that kick, like "Knock Twice", "Marco Polo", "She can't move", but then that's my taste. The power that builds on the album's title track has a nice psychotic element to it. There are bits of psycho-ness that bleed through here and there but all in all it stays an even keeled course. The vibe from this relese has a mostly a layed-back, comfortable feel. But it does have its moments of inspired rock. Influences range from the Beach Boys to XTC, and back again. Off on their own branch and covering their own hybrid ground, the world spins out of control. No one about to help pick up the pieces. All the king's horses . . . .
[BdeV 09/21/98]
 
contact: shapiro@interport.net
Volume and Tone, 407 3rd St., #1, Brooklyn, NY 11215