Scud Mountain Boys

July 4 - July 11, 1 9 9 6
[Off the Record]

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*** Scud Mountain Boys

MASSACHUSETTS

(Sub Pop)

Many fanzines placed the Scud Mountain Boys' two locally released albums on their 1995 Top 10 lists, but that says more about the privatism of today's tenderhearted underground than about the strength of this country-tinged, singer/songwriter outfit. In fact, like slowcore hipsters from Low to Palace, rural slummers from Blood Oranges to Son Volt, and melancholy trendsetters from Cowboy Junkies to Galaxie 500, these four skilled musicians from Northampton try expressly not to bowl anyone over. Instead, their breathy vocals, soft jazz chords, and doleful lyrics step languorously along the thin, hazy line between the wistful and the whimpering.

Miraculously, they keep their balance through much of this major indie debut. As the fanzines have figured out, the band know how to construct sophisticated, catchy melodies better than most of their Bambi-eyed peers. Lead Scud Mountain Boy Joe Pernice sometimes even sounds like lead Lovin' Spoonful John Sebastian -- minus that fey genius's leering sexuality and giddy pop ambition, of course. Wouldn't want to scare anybody, now.

-- Franklin Soults

(The Scud Mountain Boys play this Saturday, July 6, at the Met Café in Providence and next Friday, July 12, at the Iron Horse in Northampton.)