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Mother Hips — Kiss the Crystal Flake
(Camera CAM-006, 2007, CD)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2008-01-01

Kiss the Crystal Flake Cover art The Mother Hips have been kicking around the Bay Area for at least a decade, having a half-dozen or so releases to date, though this is their first in a few years. Their stock in trade is great songcraft, solid playing and singing, and a knack for melodic and rhythmic hooks, which all taken makes the material on Kiss the Crystal Flake stand tall above so many other alternative rock/pop bands that seem to get lost in the me-too glut of new releases. Nearly every one of the twelve songs has some vital hook and bristling energy that drives it, making the entire album a fun and satisfying flight with numerous memorable reference points along the way. The band is a four-piece of g/g/b/d, with three of the four sharing vocal duties. Among them all, only one cut, "Let Somebody," seems a bit bland and pedestrian; contrast that with a long and impressive list of standout tracks (too many to enumerate here), each with its own character and unique energetic approach. Those listeners looking for retro-prog should continue looking elsewhere, but for a solid collection of great songs, this latest Mother Hips release is right on target.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 35, 2007 releases

Related artist(s): The Mother Hips

More info
http://www.motherhips.com

 

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