Linoleum is the debut album for Spud Puddle, the latest entry in the Pacific coast's post-punk movement. This bears all the markers of the genre, a healthy nod to the punk movement-songs that rely on simple catchy hooks, the odd bit of vocal harmony-and a collection of tunes that could almost be considered pop songs if they weren't so distorted. Sebadoh is most likely the best example of this approach in the mainstream industry, Plankeye in the Christian.
Speaking of Plankeye, Linoleum's production chores were handled by Scott Silletta, and his influence is quite obvious on songs such as "Her She," "Fade Away," and "Sometimes I Feel." Beyond the musical similarities between the two bands, Spud Puddle shares a similar emphasis to Plankeye in their lyrics. At least half the songs on this disc serve as simple, direct expressions of faith. Take the end of "Sometimes I Feel" as an example:
So I still need more I know where I should rely On you, on you Jesus Christ So I only want more... of you
There are a few drawbacks to this project, however. First, the music leaves you with the impression that you've heard this all before. The band shows flashes of their potential to be very good, but on the whole they're not quite there. There's nothing to set them apart from a host of other bands doing the same thing. Second, singer Nick Garrisi has one of the most nasal voices you'll ever hear. And this isn't helped much by the fact that he has a fairly limited vocal range. This is one case where the band would have been better served by putting out an EP rather than a full-length album.
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