Softee

Birds & Aliens

Chauncey Recordings

Mixing solid melodies, catchy riffs and a smattering of punk edginess, the shabby rockers in the world of power pop crank out the greatest lost classics that few ever hear. They make up the on-ramp of the music industry, those who value songwriting over style. The women of Kansas City’s Softee, much to their credit, have done the unthinkable and released an indignant power-pop EP. Coming on the heels of … well, almost no one since Juliana Hatfield, Softee is taking its turn at that least lucrative of acclaimed genres.

A good measure of power-pop quality is how well a song would fare if all the instruments were replaced by a single acoustic guitar. With most bands, removing the extraneous layering is like a lemon meringue pie without that neon-yellow goodness — worthless fluff. Softee has instead decided to not skimp on that all-important element: substance. Each of the five tracks on Birds & Aliens could work just fine as a solo opus, allowing the group to build upon a sturdy frame without being forced to apply the mediocre polish.

The band’s approach is a rare one in the world of girl rock. No screaming, no gimmicks and, most importantly, no filler. Softee merely drops in and out in four minutes or less with bright, memorable A-sides. These songs are so infectious there’s no need for solos or extended musical interludes. Take Matt Sharp and all the slick production out of classic-era Rentals and you kind of see where this is headed.

Vocalist Sarah Anderson’s lucid delivery is reminiscent of indie idol Aimee Mann. She dances in the midrange, never forcing the issue, owning each track without breaking a sweat. The group could only benefit from more Anderson, as the EP screams out for additional harmonies. The main concern for Softee is the tepid and often questionable percussive choices that consistently mar an otherwise fine effort.

Making people take notice on merit alone is probably the single greatest difficulty Softee will encounter. Being naughty or controversial would probably work faster, but these ladies are taking the high road.

Josephine Collective

We Are the Air

Warner Bros. Records

Seemingly out of nowhere (or Johnson County), the Josephine Collective have set their sights on taking on the national pop-punk scene with their new album recently released on Warner Brothers’ label. Not bad for a band that’s only been around since 2006.

We Are the Air seeks to propel the group into Get Up Kids status by leaving the Midwest and becoming a staple in tours reaching from coast to coast. The Josephine Collective already have toured with The Used and Story of the Year, so who knows how far they’ll go now that they have a major-label full-length album under their belts.

We Are the Air starts off with a tightly knit, catchy tune about listening to “heart strung-out lovers songs,” setting the template for the rest of the album. They’re new-school emo, they’re sweet and safe, and yes, the kids will love them.

If only we could write them off as a band you’ll hear while walking past the nearest Hot Topic. Turns out they’re interested in expanding their sound outside simple guitars and drums. Horns, cowbells — perhaps they cured Christopher Walken’s fever — even some manufactured beats make appearances throughout the LP.

The beginning of “Leave Me Alone,” for example, abandons all the real drums and guitars and takes a stroll to the nearest dance club. Sure, once the band reaches the chorus, the staple pop-punk sound returns, but for that first minute or so you second-guess whether Josephine Collective could be pigeonholed that easily.

Even some of the lyrics take unexpected turns. Not every song is about longing for love and acceptance. “Crack My Heart” is a song about wanting to kill another boy if he is ever caught “touching your skin,” which sounds awfully hard-core for a group of guys who look like they might model for Heartthrob Monthly on the side.

Singles such as “It’s Like Rain” are almost too perfectly constructed. They make you wonder whether a team of producers scripted the precise number of hand claps and the exact moment when the acoustic guitar blends into the drum machine.

You get the sense these boys had a lot of luck getting where they are, combined with their musical talents. They look the part of being “angst-filled” and give off a sound that’s sure to get radio attention, but overall they’re just a lil’ too sweet.

First, the song is called "Leave me Love" not "Leave me alone"! Based on that, did you actually listen to the CD? I am always amazed whne I hear something is too perfect??? Especially when the review of the Softees just above celebrates the "polished, slick", "perfectly produced" sound. lil too Sweet??? Living is about the overdose and death of an Aunt (Get up Cousin cause it's morning and they found your Mom all tore up in a ditch.) Lye is a truly dark version of the old "Cat's in the Cradle" except that instead of loving banter between the child and father about missed time together, Lye references the "killer sharpening his knives" to reflect that missed time. Scarlet with it's constant "I can't hear your f-cking screams" leading into a chorus of "I'll be just fine when this nightmare of you makes it's exit stage right" tells of a broken and battered man dealing with relationship. Let Go tells the story of a Father literally and figuratively taking the life of his daughter??? SWEET??? Take another listen and hopefully the band can start focusing on missing notes, forgetting lyrics and generally just aspiring to creating mediocrity instead of perfection. BTW, check them out live tonight at The Granada or later in Sept. when they play the P&L with the Architects to see just how sweet they are live. Ivy League with it's lyrics brilliantly makes fun of those people caught up in their "Chocking Narcissistic Bliss"

Posted 143 days ago by Bellbiv