Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Research Turtles - Mankiller

Remember the last good power pop band you heard? Bet it's been a while. It had been for me, anyway. Then young American band, Research Turtles deliver a release in my personal favourite format in the form of their "Mankiller" EP.

From the get go, the sixties influence is strong as short burner, "A Girl Like You" invokes both The Byrds and The Mamas and the Papas with its guitar lines and strong harmonies. The hippy clothes and sickly sweet stench of incense, musk and lavender are shed in the Cheap Trick of "You Are So" and "Rhinestone Girl". "Bugs In A Jar" has single written all over it not because it's throwaway but because the songwriting is strong and if it came over the radio not many people who appreciate strong guitar pop would flick the dial. "Mankiller" rocks with the sort of balls Neil Finn will never grow.

Research Turtles' website declares "We’ve decided to write more and tour less, focusing mainly on promotions through the internet. And most importantly, we have made a conscious effort to create music more collectively". The band's album was already strong so, in effect, there's a predictable reptitive movement causing the use of the also repetitive predictable statement that the band continues to go from strength to strength.

4.5/5

Band Website

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Their first album is on iPod of everyone I know

humusician said...

These guy's are so cute and cudly. Their music is sweet as honey.

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