Search - 1990s :: Kicks

Ok followup

Greg Kinne | midwest | 07/09/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"On their sophomore album `Kicks,' 1990s return to writing punky pop songs that are often times silly and sarcastic and carry this pseudo "Berlin" vibe. Those looking for any profound meaning in these songs are definitely in the wrong place. The album opens with the chiming "Vondelpark" with vocalist Jackie McKeown initially playing it straight with his best Clash sound-alike. "Tell Me When You're Ready" almost apes Big Audio Dynamite's "The Globe" and The Clash's " Should I Stay Or Should I Go" both in lyrics and chord progression.



"59" could be a Flight of the Conchords outtake. "Kicks" stays rooted in angular sounding pop through a large portion of the album, as 1990s aren't afraid to show their power poppy punk influences on the majority of tracks. On first listen, there were times I thought I was listening to a long lost Dada record especially on "Balthazar" and "Local Science." Depending on how you view early `90's pop music, that's either a good or bad thing. If 1990s released a single with "Dizz-knee Land" on it as a b-side, it wouldn't be out of place.



The last third of the album goes through some weird transitions and references. "The Box" is reminiscent of Iggy Pop's 70's output, while closers "The Kids" and "Sparks" would easily fit on a Joe Jackson album. This creates a slightly schizophrenic listening experience because it doesn't seem to logically progress to me. Maybe it flows in the 1990's world, and I guess that's all that matters."