Armchair Martian

Who Wants To Play Bass (2002)

Brinepacer

First off, I don't like Jon Snodgrass's voice, it seems a little put on to me, but that's very subjective, so I'll work past it. Nonetheless, this CD doesn't really stand up. Imagine The Weakerthans played in a Texas bar. This is straight up drunk rock. Note: Not drinking rock, drunk rock – Music for four in the morning when you're home and alone and depressed. Give me a whiskey and an armchair and we might be somewhere, but in the cold (sober) light of day, this all sounds too similar. Opener "Mexican Song" kinda threw me for six, as I was expecting pop-punk of some sort, and the slowed down tempo was something of a welcome surprise. However, drawn over the course of thirteen songs, with little variation until the closing quarter, I found myself easily distracted. But as I say, throw those hot whiskeys my way later tonight, and we might have a deal.