comp on spinART record label
Tracklist
| a1 | Poole– | Glum (Demo Version) |
| a2 | The Apples In Stereo– | Shine |
| a3 | Trampoline– | I Want One Of Everybody |
| b1 | Squatweiler– | Colorado |
| b2 | The Technical Jed– | (As Yet Untitled) |
On the first half of The Late Engagement, the
Washington D.C.-area's Poole fails to improve on their mostly sparkling
1995 debut, Alaska Days.
They've added a fifth member, and the resulting third guitar thickens
the spry sound, makes it harder to pick out the fresh riffing underneath
the now louder, rawer power pop, and makes Harry Evans'
pleasant singing much harder to hear. Also, the production is cleaner
but not warmer, making the early songs settle into an underground pop
rut: not wild enough to be garage rock, not pretty enough for mood pop,
and not spectral enough to be (fast) dream pop. However, Poole mitigates
their worst tunes with a good attitude and a stack of humble harmonies.
And beginning midway through the LP, these students of melody, who were
sharp enough to cover XTC's "Earn Enough for Us" on their last B-side,
finally win over the recalcitrant with a batch of tunes as tasty as
just-baked cookies, and some deft moves. These moves are hinted at
earlier in the LP on the sleighbell-laden "ba-ba-ba" Beach Boys tribute
(a real page out of the XTC book). "La Chanson de la Voiture du
Pompier," the nicely plucked title track lullaby, and the acoustic
silent "Junior" loll nicely, sandwiching two early Velvet Crush-like,
post-Big Star smack-pop gems, the sharp single "Sparkler" and "Modern
Way." This engagement might be late indeed, but it's worth the delay.
amongwhomweshine Review
by Tim Sheridan
Harkening back to the bright-eyed power-pop of '80s bands like Prefab Sprout and the Reivers, this burst of jangly goodness is loads of fun. Sure, tunes like the hummable title track won't change your worldview, but who needs that much tumult? Instead, kick back with the bubblegum soul of "Anyway" and the bright bounce of "Never Sad Again." It's like the Archies with an edge.
The Late Engagement
Tracklist
| 1 | Glumb | |
| 2 | Like Anybody | |
| 3 | La Chanson De La Voiture Du Pompier | |
| 4 | The Only One (I Am) | |
| 5 | Sugartime | |
| 6 | Venus Passing | |
| 7 | The Late Engagement | |
| 8 | Sparkler | |
| 9 | Modern Way | |
| 10 | Junior |
Among Whom We Shine
Tracklist
1. Better Off On Yer Own
2. Among Whom We Shine
3. Feelin Ill Tonight
4. Make It Right
5. Sole Operator
6. Story With Me
7. Anyway
8. Never Sad Again
9. Fall For Anything
10. You're On Top
