Little John

December 14 - 21 , 1 9 9 5

**1/2 Little John

DERAILER

(Crane Mountain)

At its worst, Derailer, the debut CD by locals Little John, is a hodge-podge of popular "alternative" styles with obvious musical traces of Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr, and Green Day all rolled up into a package quite neatly wrapped by local über-producer Mike Deneen. But though songwriter and vocalist Seth Freeman's nasal vocals and melodic sense may recall John Linnell of They Might Be Giants, his lyrics just aren't as clever. Still, there are some catchy songs, with good harmonies and a few twists and turns to keep it interesting. "Scared" draws you in with its subtle groove. "Fell from the Sun" speeds by in just under a minute and a half of pure pop punk, and the title track has neat guitar and vocal hooks. A few more of these moments would go far because, as it stands, Little John have some growing to do. But at least they have the capacity to do it.

-- Michael Piantigini