The Cure and Mudhoney are referenced in the press release, but the truth is that the title gives the best and fairest indication of the album’s musical style and lyrical content: college indie rock tuned are what it’s all about.
The nihilism of teenagerdom is splattered through the album. ‘Loser Denial’ leans on the sound of Weezer and the Pixies, while the slacker grunge of ‘Virgin’ utilises the classic quiet / lour dynamic as it spits into a raging chorus that’s pure Nirvana.
The question isn’t as to whether or not they do a decent job of recreating the sound of the 90s or capturing the spirit of the teen movie, but where the layers of reality cross: is this a cleverly-crafted concept album, or is there a double irony, a post-postmodern play on reality versus fiction, in that Heyrocco are straight ahead 90s retroheads?
|
To many, of course, it won’t matter, and ultimately, the artefact should be judged on its own merit. ‘It is what it is’, may sound like a fence-sitting cliché, but ‘Teenage Movie Soundtrack’ holds up because it packs in some decent tunes and has tangible energy. It’s also well-structured, a linear chronology corresponding with an imaginary film clearly presented and realising the classic ‘Happy’ ending.
Heyrocco Online
|
