Search - Three 4 Tens :: Throw Back Move With the Three 4 Tens

Austin Power-approved shaggadelic music

10/15/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The title "Throwback Move" most likely refers to the fact that this album sounds like it was recorded by a "Nuggets"-type band in the sixties (that's the "throwback" part) and, despite its guitar-pop core, has a dance groove to it (there's where "move" applies, most noticeably on "Jack the Tripper," which most certainly gets ample DJ spins at the Electric Psychedelic Pussycat Swingers Club). The album is at times psychedelic, at others garage-ish, but it works at its best within strict pop parameters: my favorite moment is the positively Monkeesesque, belted out chorus in "Sunshine," which also scores points for its opening chords, which remind me of Spinal Tap's early sixties single (when they were the New Originals), "Gimme Some Money" ("stop wastin my time, you know what I want..."). More bands should use Tap as a reference point. Three-4-Tens don't let the listener down in this regard. In a more ironic, semitragic Spinal Tap parallel, guitarist Brian McNamara, performing at Upstairs at Nick's in Philadelphia in August 1998, began to spontaneously combust onstage as the band performed. Luckily, a drunk patron was throwing a beer on him at the time, so he got away with just his hair catching on fire, and yelled "Tommy!" instead of "Tito." Brian has completely covered, except for the fact that his head still smells a bit like briquettes. A fine debut, a bargain price, go buy this EP."