"This is all the damage I care to take," Puller frontman Mike Lewis asserts in the opening track on Closer Than You Think, "Wishing." Sporting a world-weary and mysteriously earnest tone in his pleasant singing voice, Lewis (formerly of now-defunct mainstream rock act For Love Not Lisa) leads his Southern California-based outfit through 12 stirring tunes that make up a gem of a sophomore album. Puller is one of Tooth & Nail's last honest-to-goodness rock bands, with no punk mile-a-minute cliches or hardcore screaming to be found. These four talented musicians bend conventional guitar rock to fit their own mold of easily hummable indie rock, all the while walking the thin line between punk-like urgency ("She") and beautiful, lightly-strummed acoustic numbers ("If I Had These Things"). Lewis and his bandmates cascade intense riffs down on masterful time changes and muscular, solid grooves, with impressive results. The intensity of the hook-heavy "Out Of My Head" (featuring a sledgehammer riff reminiscent of early Pearl Jam) contrasts perfectly against the lilting, gorgeous harmonies of "Never The Less." Closer Than You Think is a fresh amalgam of post-punk and modern rock, and a notch above Puller's 1996 debut.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Jeff ElbelThis sophomore venture by former For Love Not Lisa frontman Mike Lewis' group shows alternating signs of maturity and stubbornness. None will argue that Puller isn't a crack rhythm unit; this quartet manages time shifts to make any prog band drool. The band exhibits more texture and emo appeal this time, while tracks like "Wishing" and "She" suggest kinship with the Foo Fighters. The problem with…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Brett MacAlpine"Wishing," the opening track of Closer Than You Think, will no doubt have Puller fans scratching their heads, wondering, "Where have they taken my favorite band, and who is playing this radio-friendly modern rock in their place?" Not to worry. The hammering riffs and jagged rhythms introduced on their debut, Sugarless, return in time to keep the fan from throwing the disc on the pile of…HM Magazine #73Reviewed by Brian Vincent McGovernWith a cool melody blended with timely musicianship, the first track, "Wishing," sadly laments a relationship with lyrics like, "I find I wish a lot, reduced to a vampire. This is all the damage I care to take..." I see a lot more guitar variety here. In fact, some of the hooks in songs like "Out of My Head" hint at Stavesacre. Though not as heavy, it sure is rock & roll. Geoff Riley keeps the…Similar sounding releases
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