Sorry No Ferrari

Oh Snap! (2005)

Jordan Rogowski

Well I was real off base with my presumption of this record. The cover art screamed pop-punk, and so did song titles that come from such inspirations as Halo ("Killtacular"). Sorry No Ferrari has absolutely nothing in common with anything on Drive-Thru however, sharing similarity more with American Football than anyone else around.

The majority of the band's music is instrumental, only implementing vocals sparsely throughout, more as an accent to the instrumentation than a guiding force in the music. It's a strategy that works incredibly for the four-piece, as their upbeat compositions are much less somber than American Football's material, but possessing a lot of those same twinkling guitars and wistful tapping on the snare. Everything sounds so fluid and cohesive that each of the seven songs is a seamless integration of the track before it and the track after. As with many good instrumental albums, you're not even aware when one track is over and the next is beginning.

"Simple Plan" starts off immediately with some extremely light, melodic chord progressions and even lighter vocals, and while they're not a hindrance, those vocals need to be tweaked a little bit or left out all together to really get as much as possible out of the song. But after that initial 30 seconds, it's nothing but smooth grooves and tight drumming. None of the individual musicians is doing anything exemplary, but they all work so well as a unit that it doesn't even matter.

It's on the 7-and-a-half-minute "Miami Sound Machine" that the act really spreads their wings and shows just what they're capable of. Across a wide variety of sounds and tempos, they make everything sound pristine and gorgeous; even the most simple tapping of the hi-hat or thick bass line adds into the larger picture, which is a beautiful, sprawling atmosphere with musicians that don't miss a step. Even the shorter tracks, like the two-minute "Killtacular," has its fair share of impressive moments. The guitar work here is cascading while the cymbals splash and resonate in the background, all the while the bass carries everything along, linking the different tempos and textures with ease. While this is not a revolutionary record in any sense of the word, it's great for repeated and relaxing listens.

Just lay back, throw this record on, and let it all wash away.