The last major release from the 77s was the album Tom Tom Blues. While a good album, it seemed to be missing some of the range of some of frontman Michael Roe's solo work (since The Boat Ashore had the same lineup as TTB, it seemed to fill the other end of the spectrum of Roe's playing).
This new album blends the hard edge of the bluesy Tom Tom Blues with the more complex and interesting song structures of The Boat Ashore for a sonic masterpiece. It comes as no surprise that the term 'radioactive' features in the title of the album, since this album certainly could become radio-active in secular as well as Christian markets with the right sort of push.
As far as lyrics go, Roe's lyrics are typically obscure, dealing more in thought pictures and emotions than direct story-telling or blatant evangelism. The lyrics are ideally suited to the music, and support it. "Genuine" is a straight-ahead rocker, which asks the question, "Are you strong enough to grow old?" "Down From You" has a very edgy chord structure which culminates in the loopy solo following the repeated phrase "shake the tree!" This trippy track is suitably followed with a song called "U R Trippin'."
The whole album features this sort of internal continuity. If there's any weak spot on the album, it would be with some of the vocal effects on a couple of the tracks, such as at the beginning of "Rise." It's an interesting vocal effect, I suppose, but it does really nothing for the song as a whole. But fortunately "Leaving," an uptempo rocker, "Mr Magoo" and "Related" are very strong and overcome that minor weakness.
It's nice to see the 77s back in the position of being able to get their album out readily to a wider market, and it's doubly nice to see them come out with a strong album, rather than just a retread of older-styled material.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #89Reviewed by The Kern County KidIt was the "mean green season" at the St. Roe Motel, where hunters that craved the Northern woods jammed the logging trails and lodges for a 200 mile radius. It was a stressful time behind the motel office desk for Mark, a greasy introvert who never seemed to look visitors in the face. But all that changed the day that nun checked in. Her genuine smile did something to disarm all of his religious…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Michial FarmerIt usually takes me a few weeks to really get into a new 77s release, so I approach this review (and its deadline) with some trepidation. To add to my cautiousness, A Golden Field of Radioactive Crows is the band's first full-length album since 1995's disappointing Tom Tom Blues and, by all reports, is the poppiest, sunniest album they've ever done. This is a good thing, as I've always preferred…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Terry WandtkeThe new 77's album is out, and their fans rejoice. I can attest to that fact because I count myself and my friends among the highly selective but significant throng. And better than just being new material, A Golden Field of Radioactive Crows is really good stuff. With that said, I'll offer a little bit of context for this album and, hopefully, I won't be considered heretical when I explain why…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinThe Seventy Sevens inspire nostalgia. An early incarnation of the band was gleefully creating the landscape of alternative Christian music's future while most of today's hip stars and their fanbase were banging Legos and slobbering on pacifiers. Few bands that were categorized as valid alternative/modern rock options in the Eighties survived into the Nineties, not to mention this 21st Century.…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Tony LaFianzaThe 77s' long-awaited return comes with a mix of old and new sounds. Easily-recognizable song styles from the first few 77s records take a leap forward to the digital age of 2001. The band combines well-produced multi-layering effects with the returning treasure of Mike Roe's ringing guitars beneath his emotionally energized vocals. As always, Roe's guitar playing is the shining center of the 77s…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Scotty TeemsIt is a rare feat when a band can actually become better with the loss of their best musician. But when lead guitarist David Leonhardt left the 77's after 1994's Drowning With Land in Sight, it forced founder and frontman, Michael Roe to take over all guitar duties for the band. The result has been a shedding of the fat, a rebirth of a once-bulky guitar rock band, now a slim, trim power-trio more…Similar sounding releases
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