TheStart

Shakedown! (Geffen)
by Scott Hefflon

I remember Missing Persons… The New Wave band’s blonde singer was cute and bubbly and breathy and wore skimpy New Wavy outfits. Both her and her hubby had been in Frank Zappa’s band, and while I was too young to know what that really meant, I knew it implied they were talented, kinda goofy, and weird’n’freaky’n’sexy. Dale’n’Terry Bozzio. I always confused which was the guy and which was the girl.  In name only…

Oh, theStart… Yeah, there’s definitely a British thing here, kinda like Siouxsie, and maybe The Cure and The Police. I think it’s all the reverb. There’s also something sunny California about the vocals. They seem more dippy than dreary. But there’s a real darkness beneath the bubbling voice, not heavy and evil, just something in black, probably dancing and spinning like it’s 1985. I have no idea who the target audience is meant to be, seeing as the band dudes have spiky-hair, and singer Aimee Echo may burble and coo sexily, but she wears colors, so who really is funding this New Wave resurgence?
(www.thisisthestart.com)