Search - Stereo Soul :: Stereo Soul

Jersey Shore Power Pop at its finest.

Roy Opochinski | Toms River, NJ United States | 05/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a sucker for power pop. Of course, it has to be creative, well-written, catchy power pop in the vein of Fountains of Wayne or Nada Surf. I'm also a sucker for bands from the Jersey Shore. This vibrant scene has been breaking talented musicians for the past 35 years and while Bruce Springsteen might be the most famous, he is only one of many artists who played in the steamy shore clubs before they conquered the world.Stereosoul ably meets both of the above criteria on their self-titled disc. You want catchy and well-written? Look no further than "(I'm in Love With a) Porno Star)," which ably competes with the aforementioned Fountains of Wayne's "Stacy's Mom" for the title of best three-minute pop song of the new century.But this album is no one-trick pony. The opening track, "Internet Life Sucks" is a clever, upbeat take on life in the modern age -- one that manages to avoid the expected clichés while incorporating a modem dialup sample in the open that does not feel forced -- and "Mary Stuyvesant" is an unconventional track that feels a bit like a stream-of-conscious experiment."Subway Rider" has a loose feel in its opening verse and expands. "Now She's Lonely," "Baby Blue," and "Rockabye" form a nice three-punch combination that leads into the final three tracks on the disc. Stereosoul proves conclusively that the members of the band listened to plenty of Beatles records during their formative years -- not that there's anything wrong with that. In fact, it is a testament to their ability that they are able to wear their influences without trampling on that band's proud history.This is a talented band. One who could easily play with the likes of those mentioned above. They proved that when they played on the same bill as a reunited Dramamrama and more than held their own, playing a memorable set on a night when the reunion could easily have overshadowed their performance. They represent proudly the future generation of Jersey Shore rock bands and, at the same time, honor those who came before them."