Is 'kitsch' cool at the moment? I ask because that's what I thought when I saw the cover and listened to the first track of this album. As the synthesised voice, sampled from a child's toy (they call the track "Generic Teddy Bear"), invited "Come on everybody, let's rock. Rock n roll." I wondered what exactly this album contained....
From there on, most of those associations disappear as the band presents a selection of alternative-tinged rock songs that wouldn't sound out of place on most pop radio stations. The musicians are obviously up to the demands of the genre but don't excel. The vocalist has a very familiar voice which I can't quite place, and my overall feeling is that maybe this would fit a little too well on those pop radio stations, with little originality to make it stand out. There is the odd guitar fill or sound effect thrown in that renews my attention, but these quickly fade away, and my interest with them.
2.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Josh SpencerFrom the album title and cover art, you might expect something a little different, maybe a little retro, hopefully a little "groovy" ... but the alternative rock/power pop inside is more like a xerox copy of other bands. Not an identical imitation, but a black and white replication that only captures part of the quality of the originals. The production seems flat and one-dimensional, robbing the…The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by Mark J. AylorIs pop alternative a proper label? If so, Groove fits this category neatly. I'm not sure I like the combination myself, but some may. Maybe this is supposed to be alternative that just had too much of a CCM production. Maybe it's the sound they want. Either way, that is what you get, which is not necessarily bad. Variety definitely has some moments that caused me to perk up my ears and listen,…
