Have you been missing those "Best of" and "100 Most" lists that flooded
the cultural consciousness a few short months ago? Have you not yet
shaken your millennium-induced angst? Do you admire the energy of
Blink-182 and Green Day, but long for something a little less juvenile
than the former and a little more energetic than the recent output of
the latter?
Forthwith, "Five Reasons to Love Actionslacks":
1. Titular: The band succeeds in immediately conjuring an image of
plaid rayon pants straight off K-Mart rack. "The Scene's Out
of Sight", the lead/title track, concisely conveys the album's worldview: consciously naive, enthusiastically optimistic, just a little ironic.
2. The home town: Actionslacks come from Berkeley, CA, home of the
mega-famous Green Day and the seminal power-pop-punk label Lookout!
Like rock 'n' roll itself, the Bay Area music scene is regularly
declared dead, but the cover bands, evictions and club closings serve
only as a smoke screen, obscuring the talented groups working in a
multitude of genres. Actionslacks have a sound that fits comfortably
into "the scene" while adding influences of their own.
3. The producer: "Produced and Recorded by J. Robbins" compares
favorably with any other seal of quality you can imagine. The former
Jawbox/current Burning Airlines maestro has found a creatively lucrative
second career working with bands like Jets to Brazil and Promise Ring.
Here his polished, languid production and musical additions emphasize
the expert playing of the band and the craftsmanship of the songs
themselves.
4. The words: Lead lyricist (and guitarist) Tim Scanlin seems to have a
fairly sunny disposition, but he's not a sap, and his distinctive songs
about familiar topics (girls, rock 'n' roll, liberation) have a
personality which sets them apart from the verse/chorus/verse pack.
"Friday night comes down/and all the people hit this town/so excited to
be free", go the opening lines to "Shining Jewels", a touching love song
that conveys an entire courtship in simple details such as "I like to
sit with you in bars." In "I Hope This Makes it Easier for You" the
narrator attempts to convince his ex -- and himself -- that he's over her,
boasting "Sophie wasn't sleeping on my couch/and Suzy took me home and
we've been playing house"; in the end, though, he's hoping that "We will
work it out." The lyrics are uniformly smart, witty, and probing
without being overwrought, allowing you to sing along without
feeling foolish.
5. The music: Even having Oscar Wilde writing your rave-ups wouldn't matter
if the music didn't carry its share of the emotional weight. Actionslacks stick to basics -- there are no ten minute jams, no drum
solos, nothing "electronic" -- but the level of musicianship is high;
almost any one of these songs would be major-market radio-ready in a
less corporate age. The hooks multiply from beginning to end, the
choruses are instant sing-alongs and there are enough unexpected
elements to keep your ear turned to the stereo. The basic trio
(Scanlin, Marty Kelly on drums, Aaron Rubin on bass) enlist help from a
few friends, augmenting the trio's sound with piano, organ and
tambourine, along with backing vocals and extra guitar heft. Songs like
"The Scene's Out of Sight", "Joan of Arc" and "John L. Sullivan" don't
innovate, but rather refine the noisy pop rock of head-bobbings past.
The piano on "Last Night I Dreamed (That You Were Losing Sleep Over Me)"
sounds as if it was lifted straight from a mid-period Replacements ballad, while the
pensive closing track, "Bury Me in the Blue Sea," is quietly affecting.
Once those year-end lists start to roll around again, Actionslacks might
just find themselves featured on a few of them.
