Resolve

Jack (AO!)
by Michele Maniscalco

Resolve are originally from upstate New York, but after listening to their new CD, Jack (AO!), I would have sworn it was Minneapolis. Their sound owes a huge debt to the Replacements, Soul Asylum, and Hüsker Dü. The first few songs are up-tempo, powerpop, cleverly mixed so that the jangly guitars all but drown out Bill Madden’s flat, lackluster vocals. The sound balances out later on, as the songs get slower and more reflective and Madden’s vocal rises to the occasion. Track eight, the ironically-titled “Track 7,” is the pick of the album – a moody ode to an orchestra, complete with synth-strings. With the next two songs, “Timothy” and “Uncle,” Resolve win the Soul Asylum sound-a-like contest. Their energy is appealing and some of the songs are catchy, so if you like that Twin Cities sound, check this one out.