A few months ago, I was all ready to foist "Power Pop Record of the Year"
honors on a little band out of Portland, Oregon called the Maroons. Their
Youre Gonna Ruin Everything release proved to be one of the most
enduring records I've heard all year, and one I still listen to practically
every week (which is saying something, considering the 30 or so new CDs I
receive every month that I have to lend my ears to).
However, The Bigger Lovers, a four-piece out of Philly, may have just
dislodged them. With Honey in the Hive, this band has, quite simply,
released an absolute marvel of a record. This is the record for anyone who's
loved the three or so perfect songs that Matthew Sweet has deigned to put on
every record he puts out, but been slightly frustrated by everything else he
fills his records up with. This is the record for the power pop fanatic who
sincerely believes that there's nothing that's come out in the past 20 years
that can hold a candle to Big Star's immortal Radio City. This is a
record so chock-full of catchy songs that, after a few listens, they will
launch themselves into repeat mode in your brain. Before you know it, you'll
wake up in the morning humming the chorus to "What Would It Take" or "Bought
Your Ghost" or "Ivy Grows", and you'll have no alternative but to make a
beeline for the stereo and press 'play' just one more time.
I first heard of the Bigger Lovers at the same time that I learned of the
demise of singer/guitarist Bret Tobias' old band, Moped. I found the news of
Moped's breakup rather disheartening, since they'd been one of my favorite
exponents of the peppy, catchy-yet-rockin' boy/girl power pop sound(their
debut, It Won't Sound Any Better Tomorrow is well worth
seeking out), but was glad to hear that Tobias already had another project
in the works. However, The Bigger Lovers' debut, How I Learned to Stop
Worrying took forever to make its appearance. When it finally did
appear nearly two years after I'd first heard the band's name, it registered
as a bit of surprise, as it was quite a departure from Moped's speedy,
Superchunk-influenced brand of noise. Here was a much more introspective,
psychedelic, downright mellow band than I ever imagined the guy from Moped
fronting. Sure, the record sported the occasional rave-up, such as
"Threadbare" and the opening "Catch and Release", but for the most part, it
was dominated by slow, mellow, hazy tunes like "Casual Friday" and the
Byrds-y, countryish "Steady on Threes". It was a really good record, if not
at all what I was expecting.
Honey in the Hive, on the other hand, is anything and everything I
could have ever hoped for. Tobias and co/singer-songwriter Scott Jefferson
have crafted a batch of songs that resonate with the intensity of instant
classics. As far as comparisons go, the above-mentioned Big Star and Matthew
Sweet are probably the best points of reference. The Bigger Lovers play
power pop in the classic mold, with muscular guitars to the fore, backed by
a tight-ass rhythm section, intelligent songwriting, and dreamy harmonies.
Songs like "Emmanuelle" and "You're in Love, Again" hearken back to the
Bigger Lovers of their debut, all asway in hazy rhythms and swoony,
sundrenched vocals. Some of the songs of this type from How I Learned to
Stop Worrying gave off the impression that the band hadn't quite found
its collective feet yet, and were overshadowed by their more brash
neighbors. However, on Honey in the Hive, the band has managed to
integrate the upbeat and introspective sides of itself, the end result being
that both sides are equally well represented by amazing songs.
And honestly, I can't say that I've heard a record this year with more
amazing songs per capita than this one. Knievel's The Name Rings a Bell
that Drowns Out Your Voice comes as close as any, but even that
masterpiece has a few tunes that fade into the background. Every song on
Honey in the Hive, from impossibly catchy rockers like "Ivy Grows"
and "Bought Your Ghost" to languid, breezy dreamers like "Emmanuelle" and
"Minivan Blues", to the pure pop bliss-outs of "A Simple How Are You" and
"Make Your Day", asserts itself with equal fervor -- and beware, because
they're all equally likely to get themselves lodged in your brain.
It should also be noted that while Tobias wrote some great songs while in
Moped, he was not exactly what you'd call a "great singer", sounding
something like a slightly-more-in-tune J. Mascis than anything else.
However, in the intervening years, he has managed to become one. Although
his voice is still thin and slightly nasally (i.e. perfect for power pop!),
it has wound up as the perfect vehicle for his beautiful songs of love
gained, lost and pined over.
The Bigger Lovers have been a band with expectations hanging over their head
from the get go, simply due to the pedigree of its members. On Honey in
the Hive, they unequivocally blast those expectations out of the park
with an album that will, without a doubt, end up on my, and many other
critics' year-end Top 10 lists. This record is like getting a big ol' bear
hug from a good friend who you haven't seen in a few years –- instantly
comforting, gratifying, and guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
— 16 August 2002
