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The Gecko Club

Evergreen

(North Light; US: 2006; UK: Unavailable)

The Gecko Club don’t distinguish themselves from hundreds of other bands, but they don’t embarrass themselves either. Working around a format where guitar power pop is king and all should genuflect to it, the group open up this musical journey with a warm, Cure-ish “Sixteen Different Ways” that also recalls the Connells at their finest. “Kaleidoscope” takes a bit longer to cozy up to, but “Pretty Victorian” is, well, quite pretty. But the Gecko Club can also dish out Morrissey-ish maudlin Britpop, as is the case with “Chairman of the Bored” and the jangle-laced “Justified”. The album is also strong because it never has a rough spot, with “Run So Far” and the calming title track ensuring the consistency remains top notch.  The homestretch contains more of the same with “Had a Secret” and the dance-rock vibe coming from “Brand New Hope”. But things take a noticeable swing with softer singer-songwriter tracks like “Penguin Song”.

Rating:

Originally from Cape Breton, MacNeil is currently writing for the Toronto Sun as well as other publications, including All Music Guide, Billboard.com, NME.com, Country Standard Time, Skope Magazine, Chart Magazine, Glide, Ft. Myers Magazine and Celtic Heritage. A graduate of the University of King's College, MacNeil currently resides in Toronto. He has interviewed hundreds of acts ranging from Metallica and AC/DC to Daniel Lanois and Smokey Robinson. MacNeil (modestly referred to as King J to friends), a diehard Philadelphia Flyers fan, has seen the Rolling Stones in a club setting, thereby knowing he will rest in peace at some point down the road. Oh, and he writes for PopMatters.com.


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