Talk about your truth in advertising!
The press release for the Spinning Jennies’ fourth album, Peer Pressure, states that “their sound is reminiscent of such bands as the Posies, Redd Kross, Cheap Trick, Sloan, Matthew Sweet, Hüsker Dü, and offers subtle shades of pop-icons the Shoes.”
It doesn’t even take a full minute of the opening track, “Tea & Apathy”, to know that the description is right on the money. The rumors of the Posies’ demise always seems to be a little exaggerated, but, should Auer and Stringfellow ever really decide to put their band away for good, “Tea & Apathy” makes it sound as though the Spinning Jennies could pick up the mantle without blinking an eye. Not that the Posies posters on the cover of Peer Pressure aren’t a giveaway to begin with, mind you … Also easily spied on the cover, it should be noted, is that legendary commandant of cereal, Captain Crunch; serving much the same position with the Spinning Jennies as he does for General Mills, he forebodes the sweet and crunchy contents within.
The Jennies have been around since 1993, having formed in California and played all over the state (as well as much of the western U.S.) since then; they’re arguably one of the premiere pop bands in the San Francisco Bay Area at this point. They’ve made appearances on three of the four International Pop Overthrow compilations, most recently contributing a cover of the Three O’Clock’s “Jet Fighter”. This writer first discovered them with the release of their 1998 album, Starstruck, but Peer Pressure shows them streamlining their sound and producing their most consistent album yet.
The Jennies know how to use subtlety with their instrumentation. “Notice Me” has just enough piano for perfection, and the title cut throws in a bit of wah-wah pedal, but, just as you realize that’s what you’re hearing, you never hear it again.
Based on the evidence provided by Peer Pressure, Jeff Shelton (guitar/vocals), Doug Free (bass), and Nick Laquintano (drums) are definitely one of the premier power pop trios out there. In that Peer Pressure was originally released in 2000, then re-released on Vast Records in 2001, may we see new material from the Spinning Jennies far sooner than later.