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20 November 2003
The Dave Rave Group, Everyday Magic (Bullseye)
The Dave Rave Group were formerly the Dave Rave Conspiracy (but had to change their name when they became the first Western band signed by Russia's Melodiya label; seems the word "conspiracy" made them nervous). Trading in fairly accessible post-punk poppiness, the band made one very strong album, 1989's Valentino's Pirates, that many consider the equal of anything ever produced in the intelligent guitar pop genre. A reissue of that album, and a companion reunion tour, have brought about Everyday Magic, the band's first batch of new material in 14 years. It would certainly be unfair to expect the band's new effort to equal the impact of Valentino's Pirates, but their chops are still reasonably strong. Instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, or push their sound past its natural limits, the Dave Rave Group settle in and just enjoy themselves. That means they opt for a little more bar-brand bluesiness than before, but it also means that several tracks just spin their wheels. On the bright side, the title track is a pure blissed-out guitar squall, "Jennifer Cries" is a moody piece full of
tense piano and strings, "Maryann" could slip onto a Frank Black album, and "Help Me Please" is propelled by a tricked-out Chuck Berry riff. All of the traditional guitar pop touchstones are here, delivered in able-bodied -- sometimes even inspired -- style. There aren't any revelations waiting, though, and you might feel like you've heard all of this already sometime during the last 14 years.
— Andrew Gilstrap
.: posted by Editor 3:36 PM
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