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Pop. It doesn’t have to be a bad word. Yeah, when it’s of the bubble gum, Disney-channel approved nature, no one over the age of twelve should actually believe that it’s what authentic music is, but sometimes there’s a band that comes along that makes listening to pop music fun without the embarrassment.

Get It is the first full-length album and major-label release from Seattle band the Lashes. Okay, the fact that the band members all sometimes substitute “Lashes” as their last names is on the side of roll-your-eyes embarrassing, but as a band that is attached to the label of pop, the Lashes make a strong case for why you should still listen.

So to get the whole “what they remind me of” thing out there, after listening to the album several times and driving myself crazy trying to figure out what it was that the Lashes’ sound reminded me of, I came up with this: pop, with some classic rock‘n’roll style thrown in, and then mixed with some sweeping Broadway showtune flair. Kind of a weird combo, I know, but it works for the collection of songs on Get It -- and I mean that as a compliment.

Lead singer Ben Clark can belt out powerful melodies, flirt with the lines of a chorus, and leave you singing along, trying to imitate the theatrical undertones in his vocal delivery. Jacob Hoffman’s presence on keyboard both enhances the theatrical edge and mixes well with the standard rock-group performers, which, for the Lashes, includes Mike Loggins on drums, Eric Howk and Scotty Rickard playing guitar, and Nate Mooter -- highly recognizable with his mop of curly hair -- playing bass. The songs “A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody” and single “Sometimes the Sun” highlight the ability that these guys have to create strong, catchy songs -- even if the lyrics of some do get a bit too repetitive -- and “Dear Hollywood” demonstrates the ability they have to effectively tap into a more emotional, heartfelt sound. I’m not sure if any of the songs on Get It will be able to outshine “Death by Mixtape” from The Stupid Stupid EP the band put out in 2004, but they definitely make for some good companions to it.

As an additional note to add to the credibility of the Lashes, their sound is not the result of smooth production tricks. At a recent in-store performance at Seattle’s Sonic Boom Records, the Lashes proved that they can, I thought, sound better than they do on their album, even when performing in the corner of a hometown record store. During songs, the band members threw some power behind their songs that I didn’t hear on the album, and between songs they made corny jokes. So much for rock star attitude. They seemed like six guys standing on the cusp of their dream, fighting for it and enjoying every moment of getting there, with humor and gratefulness intact.

The people who still believe in pop as the beginning and end of music (and probably in Santa Claus too, if that’s where they’re at) are going to like the Lashes, which unfortunately means that their shows will probably grow in the population of teen girls who can’t stop squealing over how hot they think Ben is, but the Lashes deserve a more diverse fanbase than that, a fanbase that includes people who care more about the talent behind their songs than how many belts Ben wears.



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    Posted by wrstjon on 2006-03-09 15:13:20

    I was pretty unimpressed by this. I guess it isn't bad, just not great. I can, however, see this band getting really bad in the future if they go down that road. But for now, I'm content with the album

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 at 2:41 PM (EST)

    Nicely written review. Saw the band and liked their energy and humor as well as their playing. The CD is fun, not terribly deep but they're not pretending to be profound. Amusing that some other comments here dismiss the band without hearing a note. Ah, happy memories...of people deciding you're a jerk based on appearance.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, March 6, 2006 at 6:36 PM (EST)

    Here's an idea. Lets look at MUSIC reviews on a MUSIC site a rip a band for the cover of their album. Most people won't even buy the actual album anyway, just download it, making that point even more mute. Who the fuck cares about belts, booze or myspace? It's the music that matters and this stuff is not bad at all, especially for a debut full length. Nice review as well.

    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 3, 2006 at 2:01 AM (EST)

    The cover might be a Too Fast for Love parody, but I dunno. As the Eternal Cowboy was a better Too Fast for Love parody anyways.

    Posted by Flowbee on 2006-03-02 01:07:51

    I got a copy of this sent to me at the campus newspaper a few weeks ago and it is seriously one of the worst things I've ever heard. Totally contrived and completely lame. Any band that puts glamour shots instead of song lyrics inside of their cd booklet loses so much of my respect.

    Posted by cantsitstill on 2006-03-01 17:44:34
    My Score:

    really? these guys made me think "a poor man's Interpol".

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 at 3:22 PM (EST)

    "the lashes = drunks."

    so what? i am too.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 at 3:19 PM (EST)

    ssssexy

    Posted by Cos on 2006-03-01 12:51:06

    So, from the description and the look of the album cover (I've never heard a note), should we call them Sum 42? Would that be stupid, or clever?

    Posted by someoneanonymous on 2006-03-01 06:41:47

    Oh, i thought the cover was making fun of people who wear that many belts, but apparently not . . .

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 at 4:44 AM (EST)

    "the lashes = drunks. here's a link to ben's myspace post where he admits that he never heard a cure song until 2000: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=7 92725&blogID=49289108&MyToken=72e890cb-5ed4-4967-9211-36563720acd 0

    what a fucking idiot."

    This is possibly the dumbest man alive. I seriously feel like I've lost brain cells by just reading this.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 at 4:40 AM (EST)

    More Belts = More Punx!!!

    But seriously, who puts this shit out?!

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 at 7:52 PM (EST)

    "It looks like a parody of the cover for "Too Fast For Love" by Motley Crue."

    That's part of the reason I hate it.

    Posted by rkl on 2006-02-28 17:57:18

    i wish id never heard a cure song, ever

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 at 5:38 PM (EST)

    nice picture of 4 belts.

    Posted by BJR on 2006-02-28 16:07:18

    their live show is horrible! I saw them on Ferguson and I just turned it off, the guitarist who doesn't play the les paul just blows...

    Posted by notfeelingcreative on 2006-02-28 14:49:29

    "The cover alone makes me hate this band."

    It looks like a parody of the cover for "Too Fast For Love" by Motley Crue.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 at 2:20 PM (EST)

    Uh, what is, late 80's New York? Does it really matter if one of the members of a band is a "drunk?" And I'm not even saying the dude is. Just that, if he is, who gives a shit? What's lamer is that he writes in Myspace all the time.

    -Will

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 at 2:06 PM (EST)

    The cover alone makes me hate this band.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 at 1:35 PM (EST)

    the lashes = drunks. here's a link to ben's myspace post where he admits that he never heard a cure song until 2000: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=7 92725&blogID=49289108&MyToken=72e890cb-5ed4-4967-9211-36563720acd 0

    what a fucking idiot.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 28, 2006 at 1:09 PM (EST)

    The white belt on the front cover makes me sad.

    Posted by aubin on 2006-02-28 12:09:50

    Nice review Amanda...

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