Smackmelon – Blue Hour – Review

Smackmelon

Blue Hour (Relativity)
by Sheril Stanford

Smackmelon is back, comin’ on, feelin’ strong. This time, it’s with a full-length CD, jam packed with the patented sound Boston has come to know and love, and some juicy new stuff, too. Smackmelon has sizzled in this city since the band formed about two years ago. Made up of former members of Bullet LaVolta, Voodoo Dolls, and Orangutang, this three-piece rapidly became known for putting its own creative spin on the Bob Mould/Sugar/Hüsker Dü sound, and for its excellent live shows.

Smackmelon’s on-stage performances are so riveting, so manic (and at a recent show, so LOUD), that anything on disc has to pale in comparison. But don’t let the mellifluous title of this CD fool you; it’s filled to the brim with punched up, raw guitar and searing vocals. The sound for which Smackmelon is known, due in no small part to the husky vocals of lead singer Duke Roth, is here, as are a number of short, blasting, bashing powerpop tunes. A well-known favorite of this genre is “I’m Not Cool” – noisy and hook-laden, with classic outsider lyrics (“I’m not a member of this club… I’m not cool… I’m not awesome… I’m flotsam…”), and screechy, wailing guitar.

As if to prove that truly talented musicians lurk behind the harder/louder approach, Smackmelon steps outside its previously set boundaries on this CD with some lengthier guitar showcase tunes, like the dreamy “Mother Love,” that flashes you straight back to the ’60s with a major guitar solo, and a seductive, fluid tune called “John the Baptist.” The band colors outside the lines on this CD, but fear not; if you’ve liked Smackmelon from the beginning, you’ll like this CD plenty.