700 Miles – Review

700 Miles

(RCA)
by Scott Hefflon

This band refuses to sit still long enough to have a label stuck to their foreheads. Just when you think you’ve got them “figured out,” the next song puts you back to the stereotyping drawing board. Ranging from melodious, street-level sub-pop grit (I will not use the word grunge!) to hard-edged acoustic R.E.M.ish semi-folk to alternative blues jams with twangy harmonies and congos… congos?! Impossible to define, but great fun to try. The throaty vocals disguise the fact these are just shy of sappy love songs. To quote the lyrics would be reminiscent of High School crush poetry doodling. Only better. The lyrics aren’t so sugary and cliche when sung with such desperate feeling. Each song is a groove in and of itself and is beautifully effective as such. Just be prepared to shift the groove when the next song starts. This recording is a great source for those “mood mix” cassettes we all make and play to death. Enjoy!