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Velvet Crush
STEREO BLUES
(Action Muzik)
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Almost a decade after its release, Velvet Crush’s Teenage Symphonies to God (Creation/Epic) still sounds like the Boston area’s great lost power-pop album, with a leadoff single ("Hold Me Up") that ranks with any Big Star or Badfinger classic. It’s also one of the sharpest productions that underground hero Mitch Easter has done, reconciling the band’s love of sweet pop melody with big, crunchy guitars. Easter’s touch has been especially missed on the last couple of Crush albums, which were made after core members Paul Chastain and Ric Menck (who respectively now reside in Indiana and Los Angeles) started recording in their home studios with no production frills. On Stereo Blues, the Crush opt for fully electric arrangements with big studio production, thanks to Adam Schmitt’s moving into Easter’s role as co-producer and multi-instrumentalist. The songs still call for a bit more polish than they get — a stronger vocal take here or a punchier guitar sound there. But the songwriting is almost up to the level of Teenage Symphonies, and the album is certainly their best since. They even turn certain homemade touches into a virtue. Most producers would probably snip the guitar jam that stretches "The Connection" to seven minutes, but it builds a nice, tense groove. Elsewhere, the Crush keep to familiar ground, bringing back a bit of country influence and writing the usual shimmering hooks. Recovering from heartbreak is the recurring theme in the lyrics, a good fit for the bruised but hopeful tone of the music.
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