Aspiring Olympians are lauded for their commitment to excelling in their sports. Putting in hours of grueling work every day, beating their bodies, overcoming pain and injury, and spending every waking hour at the track, pool, or gym, these athletes devote their lives to reach the glory of the Olympic Games. There's also a group of Olympic Hopefuls that spend all their time writing songs and playing the guitar. In the latter case, Erik Applewick and Darren Jackson have teamed up from other bands (Vicious Vicious and Kid Dakota, respectively) to form the eclectic power pop group Olympic Hopefuls. Together they have released their first album, The Fuses Refuse to Burn.
Stuffing melodies full of powerful guitars, bouncy rhythms, and fun instrumentation, Olympic Hopefuls create a fabulous sound. Influences from Weezer and Beulah are apparent, creating a music that's all about having fun.
They show a lot of promise lyrically as well. "Imaginary" is one of the cleverest love songs I've heard in years, exploring narcissistic demands for the perfect lover: "I walk hand in hand with myself / Converse with an empty chair about our health / She whispers ever so softly in my ear / 'Your imaginary love is always near'... / I tell her I could never love another."
Carefree "Drain the Sea" is a stand-out among the tracks. A song of love that conquers all, it's a feel-good tune that's easy to fall in love with: "Your dad says my head is filled with rocks and sand / But if you were drownin' in the ocean / Well I'd drain the sea and bring you back to land / 'Cause they don't know me like you do."
Tracks like "Motobike" ("The cops they can't catch me / Though they chase me all over town / I'm never gonna slow down") and "Pretty Bigmouth" ("Where her and her mouth stops no one really knows / Would it be so bad to shut your mouth and listen? / Could it be you're just a pretty bigmouth?") pump out irreverent humor and catchy tunes, while malfunctioning relationships are the subjects of other songs like "Whisper" ("You never let me meet your friends / 'Cause I might say something stupid") and "Stoned Again" ("I'm missin' that vital love / That you chose to give to me / But not for eternity"). Yet the Hopefuls' power guitars and lively percussion successfully keep the mood light and energetic throughout the disc.
But frequent references to drugs and drunkenness seriously hurt their effort. They show a real ability to produce intelligent, original lyrics, but with five out of ten songs referencing drugs and drinking, it becomes difficult to enjoy the album as much as it otherwise deserves. Each of these five tracks was penned by Jackson, and one is left wondering if this is all that he is capable of. Applewick's songs, on the other hand, are the best of the project and reflect a creativity and humor that make OH worth watching for in the future.
Musically terrific and at times lyrically fresh, but spoiled by a recurring fascination with drunkenness, The Fuses Refuse to Burn is a mixed bag. Olympic Hopefuls show flashes of brilliance, but they could use another couple of years to find themselves. Perhaps by the 2006 winter games we'll see the gold medal talent they're capable of.
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