Poundcake

Aloha Via Satellite (Q Division)
by Sheril Stanford

Okay, so what gives? Everyone around these parts who’s heard this band says Poundcake‘s sound is quintessential Boston, citing drummer Mark Rivers’ past with popular local band the Cavedogs and Clayton Scoble’s self-described “session slut” connections with other Boston artists including Aimee Mann and Jen Trynin. On the other hand, the musical references for Poundcake tend toward XTC and even the Beatles. Huh? I mean, most of us don’t associate the “Boston sound,” to the extent that there is such a thing, with Brit pop. Ah, but music loves a paradox and strange though it may seem, both perceptions of Poundcake turn out to be accurate. On first listen, the comparison of Poundcake to certain Boston bands is inevitable. There was a phase a few years back when three or four Boston bands pumped out a sound similar to Poundcake’s. The most common comparison is to the Barnies. But for the most part, that sound in Boston is history, and with Aloha, Poundcake moves way beyond that. This full-length disc features a number of hook-filled tunes that could easily fall into the force-fed commercial radio overdose bin that makes a band really successful. The title track, “Aloha Via Satellite,” is a good example; it features a swingy but driving melody, spunky harmonies on a clever bridge (“it was so delightful/ the way they took the stage/ it was such an eyefull/ they look like hell but they’re all the rage”) and a sing-along, Beatles-esque chorus. Another snappy track is “Kick the Can,” previously released as a single. The cut is driving and crunchy, with major periodic lapses into XTC-dom and kicky lyrics like “Liz Phair will fall in love the day that she sees you.” So stop dissecting, stop comparing, stop looking for influences – pick up Poundcake and just take a bite.