Shoe Box E.P. Review

07/13/2005 6:38 AM, AMG


Do they have the worst band name since Haircut One Hundred? Yes. Are they one of the finest pop groups in the world? Almost certainly. Their debut album was a tuneful, slapstick adolescent romp and their second was a remarkably mature folk-rock outing filled with as many irresistible hooks as a good Beach Boys album. This four-song EP previews a muscled-up radio remix of the title track (the original version of which has already appeared on the Friends soundtrack and appears as the last track on this EP), along with an early version of the hysterical "If I Had a $1,000,000" and a previously unreleased gem called "Trust Me," which features tasty surf guitar and typically bemused lyrics on the ephemerality of young love. Coolest of all, however, is the extensive CD-ROM program embedded in the disc -- formatted for both Mac and IBM machines, it features live video clips, photos, a comic strip, a trivia game and more. It'll you keep busy while you wait anxiously for their next full-length album. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide