Reply #36: Moose- High Ball Me! [View All]

[MarsThe Cat]

it changed my life.

this review on Amazon.com sums it up pretty well- you can also sample all the tracks at amazon-

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004YA82/qid=1129270920/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl15/102-0196956-9814551?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

What a beautiful album this is! If I had read about the different sounds and influences on this recording prior to hearing it, I wouldn't have thought it would work. How in the hell could bongos, goofy organ sounds and spaghetti-western guitar melodies go together with dark and moody British guitar pop? I know it sounds bizarre, but these influences meld together seamlessly on this album.

Moose's "High Ball Me!" simply has to be heard to be believed. Not only for its off-kilter amalgamation of diverse influences, but for the sheer quality of the songwriting contained within. This is pop music of the absolute highest order. Each song on this album has been meticulously and painstakingly crafted with so much love and attention to detail it is staggering. You can tell that the bandmembers of Moose are truly in love with the artistic possibilities of pop music and revel in writing and recording (why else would they continue doing it when obviously no one knows who they are?). It is truly a shame that this album has been completely overlooked by the media and music fans alike (they have no idea what they're missing!).

As far as highlights from the album, I would say the entire album is one long highlight. This is one of those rare records where every track is just as brilliant as the one before it. In fact, I would easily award this record Album of the Year for 2000.

After starting things off with a creepy intro that uses a sample from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", the listener is catapulted into Moose's vision of rock via "Can't Get Enough of You." The track is propelled by some energetic bongo playing, imaginative bass lines, the aforementioned spaghetti-western guitar playing, and probably the creepiest background female singing ever recorded. On top of all of this, we have the main vocalist in Moose, Russell Yates (a deadringer for The House of Love's Guy Chadwick, btw), with a darkly rich and deep voice that carries an ominous flair. Perhaps what is most intriguing of all is how Moose integrates all of these sounds and ideas into a single song and never have it come across as sounding contrived or forced in any way.

The rest of the album is just as brilliant. "Lily La Tigresse" features some truly beautiful melodies via a violin, "Won't Look for Love" demonstrates Moose's appreciation for vintage Felt via some sophisticated and very melodic guitar arpeggios, while "The Only Man in Town" and "There's A Place" show the band at their most tender and emotionally moving.

This is just brilliantly written music any way you look at it. I am so glad that I purchased this (I had never even heard of Moose until summer 2002). I consider myself a richer person for having this CD in my collection.

Recommended for fans of melodic, indie/alt rock such as Belle & Sebastian, The Smiths, House of Love, The Go-Betweens, Felt, Trembling Blue Stars, etc.