The Ams – The Release Of An American Soul (Music Review)
By Andrew Duncan • Dec 31st, 2009 • Category: Categories, Indie Rock, ReviewsThe Ams
The Release Of An American Soul
Shields Records
Rating: 2.8 out of 5
Link: http://www.myspace.com/theamsworld
The Release Of An American Soul is one that is sporadic and all over the place. You would think that when the band (mostly consisting of siblings and Chicago residents Frank and Anna) punches you in the face with a theramin-like hum and a chime with the intensity of a gong on the exuberant opener “The Same Air,” this would be the best album you could possibly put your hands on.
But then you encounter something like the Janis Joplin wanna-be of “Can’t Sleep” or the badly built ‘50s girl pop homage of “Turn Up The Radio,” where bands like Royal Trux did it so much better. You cannot quite place your finger on what they are trying to prove or do, if anything at all.
But with songs like “Syncom” and “Saturday Afternoon” it’s hard to hate this band. When The Ams stop being kitschy and focus on pure power pop or space-age antics, they shine. However, there are too many distractions on this album to keep the pop sparkle alive.
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Andrew Duncan is a journalist who has migrated to the forces of academia. He has written for various publications including Chord, Heckler, Readyset...Aesthetic, and a vast array of alternative press contributions. When not roaming the streets of Indianapolis, he is either addicted to KXCI, making music, or striving to watch every film listed on IMDB.
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