Search - Pugwash :: Giddy

Giddy As All Get Out

armenianthunder | los angeles | 10/29/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, this Irish band's name is ridiculous and awkward, but the music is first-rate power pop with hooks aplenty and melodies that just don't quit. This CD selects some of the choicest cuts from the band's four official full-lengths and adds a couple of new tracks for good measure. However, the earlier compilation Earworm, which compiles tracks from their first two Ireland-only CD releases, is just as fine a place to start, though it may be harder to track down.



Yes, it is a musical genre that tends to celebrate imitation; in fact, you would be hard pressed to believe that the opening track "Apples" is not a long lost Andy Partridge/XTC/Dukes of Stratosphear nugget, what with its jangling guitars, burbling mellotrons, and sighing background vocals. But to most power-pop fans, this is not a bad thing, nor should it be. Fans of like-minded artists such as Jason Falkner, The Apples in Stereo, Brendan Benson, Jellyfish (not to mention the 60's/70's pop originals that influenced those artists, be they the Zombies, Beach Boys, Squeeze, 10cc, ELO, etc.) will probably enjoy lathering up with some Pugwash."