The Reunion Show -
"Kill Your Television"
By Andrew G., Wilmington, DE
Now, I'm a pretty cautious guy, but even I would be willing to bet that this Long Island quartet of rockers listened to a lot of Elvis Costello. Almost all their songs have his same Moog-pop meets indie rock attitude. Not that that's bad; everything sounds like something, and I can think of a million worse people to sound like than Elvis Costello.
As for the album, it's very good, certainly a strong sophomore release for an up-and-coming band. "Kill Your Television" has eleven tracks of catchy, clever rock songs. It also includes new versions of two songs from their first album, "The Motion." I like the old versions better, but I'm a purist.
This album could easily be a measuring stick by which other indie-pop or emo bands are measured. It's easy to listen to with its upbeat synth rhythms, but it doesn't get repetitive. The lyrics are intelligent (though abstract) and make being smart look cool while at the same time not seeming pretentious.
The Reunion Show has avoided the major pitfalls of indie-rock to come out with a catchy, smart album, and though I suggest everyone buy it, it doesn't have that undefinable something to make it great. I'd give it four out of five stars.
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