John Broughton (vocals/guitars/piano and most everything else) and Brian Ahnmark (drums/harmonies) are longtime partners in Strawberry Tops, a band that aspires to create melodic pop songs while mining the weirder side of the Beatles and the Velvet Underground.
With the proliferation of home digital recording systems, it’s become common for indie musicians to sound every bit as professional as the pros. That’s why an album like this, which plays like it was created on a ’90s Portastudio, is such a welcome change. Broughton and Ahnmark recorded at home using Logic software, but admit that a professional mastering test left them cold, so they “stubbornly, foolishly” mastered themselves. This is obvious in several songs, but only adds to the joy of creation and discovery. The fact that the original tracks were passed back and forth between Portland, Oregon and Richmond, Virginia is even more amazing. A typical Strawberry Tops song begins with straightforward vocals and guitar or piano; a choir’s worth of vocal harmonies are then added, followed by a sudden change of key or tempo and the addition of synths and violins, undergirded by paramilitary drums. Guitars become increasingly more grungy as everything but the kitchen sink is thrown in, which finally leads to an unexpected, gentle conclusion. Their distorted guitars really ARE distorted, boxy drums ring out with too much room echo and vocals are overly processed. But I love every one of these indulgences, and I know I’m not alone. The opening “East Coast Addict” wastes no time by introducing Beach Boys harmonies, ringing piano, strident snare drum and unexpected musical changes. Right off the bat, your speakers will barely contain the full-on guitars. Simple but true lyrics about addiction: “I’m the Captain of my soul / I want to get high / when I’m at home or on the road / Nobody tells you about the pain of letting go.” “Just So Stories” features a Ringo marching beat with psychedelic vocals and more overdriven guitars. There’s a bit of a Ween vibe here, especially during the guitar solo. Layers of sounds barely hang together, but muscle through despite all odds. “Everybody laughs at me,” they sing, “the devil laughs at me / and everyone who’s ever died is laughing.” That’s a lot of laughter! “What-Ifs and Fantasies” is one of the more overtly home taper-like songs with direct-in guitars, falsetto mock-oratorio vocals, creepy sci-fi effects and clanking drums. I just dig the hell out of these sounds, despite the fact that this song would get Strawberry Tops bum-rushed out of every record label in town. “Out Of Body” lives up to its name with otherworldly vocals, creepy strings and psychedelic keyboards. The accomplished violins by Broughton’s sister Anne Claire are a real treat. “Automatic” also features Claire (an unofficial third band member), who must be the one legitimate musician here: if you told me this was the L.A. Philharmonic, I’d believe you. Piano and multiple super-close vocals dominate this tune. “It’s automatic / just like a C flat / You give a shit and all you get is flack.” “Pause A Riot” is like a catchy novelty single from the space race ’60s with a beeping Telstar throughout; neat chimes and killer guitar breaks too. “Kitten We Don’t Miss Them” is an energizing straightforward rocker, though with a typically bizarre piano middle section. “Eerie Oregon,” another almost-normal rock song, steamrolls ahead with tart guitars, tooty sax samples, and Knack-like drums. “Down to Zero” again gets psychedelic with more of Claire’s violins and experimental guitar bursts. After a couple more songs, “Objectivity (Wanes)” ends the proceedings with swaggering guitars, aggressively stacked vocals and Strawberry Fields drum patterns. It’s almost as if the songs become more traditionally hard rock as the end nears, though you’d need an electron microscope to measure the difference. I’ve had fun with my descriptions of this album, but honestly this is one of my favorite indie releases this year. I love what Strawberry Tops tried to do, how often they succeeded, and even the times they failed. It’s the doing that’s important, and they DID it. I strongly recommend getting the best possible format for this album (CD, WAV. files, etc.) as MP3’s can’t quite contain the sonic mayhem presented here.
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