1995 Ardent/Interscope
Man, I love this CD.
I remember working at 100.7 FM The Tiger when the CD single for “Moon June Spoon” came in the mail and listening to it the first time simply because the song title intrigued me. We were one of the first radio stations in the country to put the song in our rotation and for a brief moment it looked like they were headed for really big things with their playful and emminently tuneful guitar-driven sound.
In an age where alternative one-hit-wonders were flying in from all directions (there were some REALLY bad albums being promoted), this was a CD that fired on all sixes and delivered a sound well-represented by the debut single.
In most cases, the debut single being the best track is a bad thing. In this case, ‘Moon June Spoon’ is just SO good that there’s just almost no way they could have topped it. So Spot just stocked the rest of the disc with more solid memorable tunes that are worth repeated listens.
“Drop Down” opens the song with a really rockin’ and chuggin’ riff and otherworldly melodies that just careen through your headspace like a rollercoaster that decided to take a nice little detour onto a more adventurous track. “Straight Thru The Sun’s Head,” “One of Hazy Days,” “Ground,” “Fodder”…track after track just shimmers with energy, hooks and sometimes progressive-sounding melodies.
In fact, it is the vocal melodies that are really the crowning touch on most of these songs. You can call it alternative, you can call it modern rock, you can call it whatever you want. I call it a disc everyone should hear, and another one well worth seeking out online. Check out ‘Moon June Spoon’ on YouTube and get your first taste. Then come back for seconds and buy the disc yourself.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
