The new album from The Inflorescence is on Kill Rock Stars and that's one of the reasons why I decided to check it out. And having heard the record, Remember What I Look Like, I have to say that what works here does so largely because of the old school-levels of energy throughout the release.
"Phantom Feelings" has an odd Britpop-sort of hook, while "So Much of Nothing" is more self-indulgent and whiny. At their best, The Inflorescence let the electricity of the pieces carry things forward, though at times the vocals and lyrics sink this with a sort of adolescent sense of self-importance. "Are You Sorry" surges admirably, but the title cut and "Tomorrow Night" lost me with the general emo mopey vibe of the vocals. Even if some of this sounds like old Juliana Hatfield or Letters to Cleo, lots more unravels and seems slightly unfocused. The final track, "Board Game", thankfully, turns that fuzzy mood on its head, letting the instrumental prowess take center stage in flashes of a kind of lazy confidence like an old Meat Puppets side.
Remember What I Look Like earns lots of points on its energy level, even if some of this seemed surprisingly inchoate. In instrumental terms, I dug lots of the little hooks peppered throughout this Kill Rock Stars offering.
[Photo: Alex Tchoukhrova]