This
is either the stuff of which legends are made or a prime example of how
absolutely pathetic a human being can be. The story goes that at the age
of 18, Bostonian songwriter and guitarist Dave Pino wrote a batch of 80
tunes in an attempt to rekindle a relationship that had soured. While
the prospective love interested was impressed with his prolific writing,
she still ended up giving him the thumbs down sign for hooking up. However,
any pop/rock aficionado will agree that Pino's ex-girlfriend must have
had pretty awful taste in music not to dig these tunes. From the Attic
culls the best bits from Pino's hopeless romantic pursuit. Each of the
teenage-angst-ridden anthems blends punchy rock riffs and gushing vocal
melodies with exceptionally catchy results. Pino's lyrics may be rudimentary
at times, but keep in mind that he was only a frustrated teen when these
tracks were penned. If Damone slit its collective musical wrists in a
depression-soaked rage, they would bleed rock 'n' roll with traces of
raw punk and indie spirit. Chugging riffs, arena rock drumming and blistering
guitar solos appear throughout the album. Fear not; From the Attic is
anything but another round of white-boy blues-rock. Did Stevie Ray Vaughan
ever sing about BMX freestyling, carwashes or hanging out at the mall?
Could he? You're certain to fall in love with From the Attic's phaser
notes, slick vocal overdubs and sizzling six-string work -- that is, unless
you hate rock 'n' roll or were born deaf. Opener "Frustrated Unnoticed"
sets the tone for the rest of the album, jumping into the chorus after
only four verses. Noelle's empathetic voice breathes life into the love-stricken
lyrics, as Pino, Vasquez and Hengst play the tightest rock 'n' roll you've
heard in quite some time. There aren't any cryptic metaphors to decipher
when Noelle sings "I'm rockin' a BMX bike / I'm rockin' a muscle-head
car / I freestyle wherever I go / I don't cry whenever I fall." It's sickeningly
good no-bullshit rock 'n' roll. The pinnacle of Pino's songwriting comes
a bit early -- three tracks into the CD, to be precise. As soon as "Up
to You" strides into its initial chorus, you'll be sold. Noelle's innocent
vocals build up until she blasts her way into a delicious exchange of
octaves and drawn out notes. "Up To You" tells the tale of the young romantic
who's seeking love's salvation but is awkwardly unsure of how to acquire
it. We've all been there and made the stupid mistakes that come with the
territory; Damone simply puts the quintessential teenage experience to
music, jerking you back into those uncomfortable years of mall girlfriends,
arcade flirtations and party line conversations. Pino even inserts a ludicrous
'80s flavored guitar solo that spits out a gazillion notes in short order.
Other faves include the pseudo-duet "At the Mall", Pino's teenage on-the-job
fantasy "Carwash Romance" and the concrete heartbreaker "Driveway Blues".
Each combines madly catchy choruses and razor sharp rock 'n' roll change
ups to stirring effect. You'll even spot a hazy Cars influence on "Your
Girlfriends"; the muted notes and retro keyboards recall Ric O. shakin'
it up in his heyday. If you dig the other sex, hot rod cars or punky rock'n'
roll tunes, From the Attic is an absolute necessity for your record collection.
Put down that gun and twist the cap back on that pill bottle; you may
be bummed out, but remember, someone up in Boston once wrote 80 rock songs
for a girl and still got dissed. Did he bow out? Nope. He turned around
and laid the foundation for a kick ass album. |