With 2002's Shiny Things, the Sacramento quartet seemed to have lost the pizzazz that made predecessor Weightless such an unfettered, sardonic joy, frontman/songwriter Rusty Miller's lyrical suss seemingly having lost its bite. Thankfully, here he's back on form, an acute diarist of smalltown suffocation, whether he's daydreaming of Stevie Nicks ("When We Get Together"), making out in the bushes ("Adventures Galore") or jacking off in a hotel room ("Charlie Watts Is God"). Musically, they're a floor-ripping mess of Drive-By Truckers gallop and Now It's Overhead maelstrom?particularly on the epic "If We Could Go Backwards"?with a country-Stones chaser. Welcome home.
With 2002’s Shiny Things, the Sacramento quartet seemed to have lost the pizzazz that made predecessor Weightless such an unfettered, sardonic joy, frontman/songwriter Rusty Miller’s lyrical suss seemingly having lost its bite. Thankfully, here he’s back on form, an acute diarist of smalltown suffocation, whether he’s daydreaming of Stevie Nicks (“When We Get Together”), making out in the bushes (“Adventures Galore”) or jacking off in a hotel room (“Charlie Watts Is God”). Musically, they’re a floor-ripping mess of Drive-By Truckers gallop and Now It’s Overhead maelstrom?particularly on the epic “If We Could Go Backwards”?with a country-Stones chaser. Welcome home.
