A Kiss In Wisconsin
A-
James Palazzolo
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- The August Teens
- A Kiss In Wisconsin
- Self-released
"I hardly know her, and now I'm writing songs in major keys/ With my heart/ I must not be very smart," Dan Hardgrove of Madison's The August Teens sings on their first full-length, A Kiss In Wisconsin. (They'll celebrate the album with a Friday happy-hour show at the High Noon Saloon.) Indeed, Hardgrove and band are rarely too clever for their own good, but they're aware of the simple elements that make power-pop work.
The vocal melodies of "Mysteries" and "Headstrong Girl" could get away with a doo-wop group and an extra octave or two, but anything that fancy would be beside the point. Instead of making themselves into caricatures, the Teens make their shamelessly sweet songs relatable for anyone out there that's lonely but not yet too cynical.
Because of its lack of preciousness, Kiss has an easier time shifting from the slightly wimpy "Buttercrush" to the mildly Cheap Trick-ish "There Is No Amber Klein." "Pizza In Your Heart" deserves advanced neuroscientific study for its mix of wordplay and idiocy: "Is there a donut in your soul / or is there just a hole?" Otherwise, Hardgrove's lyrics are at least sharp enough to disarm the awkward tangles with romance: "It's Gonna Break My Heart (When Your Baby Ditches You (For Me))" provides equal sympathy to both vertices of the triangle.
The ringing power chords, palm-muted rhythm guitar, and cymbal crashes of closing track "A Kiss In Wisconsin" bring out more ache in a fond absence. "He has eyes that you would recognize / but you haven't seen them enough to see them in your mind," Hardgrove sings, soon to conclude that "a kiss in Wisconsin is worth a year in L.A." A Kiss In Wisconsin doesn't master power-pop or treat it like a precious art form; it makes four grown dudes sound really fucking pure of heart.
Madison-area bands can submit CDs for review by mailing them to 612 W. Main St. #202 Madison, WI 53703. Music can also be submitted digitally to sgordon@theonion.com. We cannot review everything, but will consider everything local that comes our way.
