Upon the first sip of Please's "Broken Little Songs," when the rush of quirky, driving guitars welcome listeners on "Flush," I was under the impression that this might be America's (modern) version of XTC. But then the trumpets come roaring in, and it became immediately apparent that Please (http://pleasetheband.com) have their own senses working overtime.
Call them alternative rock for the lack of a better term (they're certainly not mainstream by today's standards), but Please mostly echo pop/rock acts of the '70s, a little bit of Billy Joel, the Raspberries, and even Big Star fueled with the sarcastic wit and lyrical play of Harvey Danger. Now that I think of it, "Flush" could've been a Harvey Danger tune; it certainly has enough foot-stomping energy and bubblegum hooks. Please is one of those deceptively upbeat groups that will make you bob your head back and forth to songs about failed romantic relationships.
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The band has a wicked sense of humor, and they're not afraid to string puns like, "You're the Fiona Apple of my eye," as on "Song for Dean Martin." As with Harvey Danger, the clever songwriting will make you pay extra attention to the words.
Musically, Please are quite accomplished. "Broken Little Songs" has the spontaneity of a sizzling live performance. On "Fish Out of Water," the throbbing percussion is truly mesmerizing, and the propulsive keyboards on "Jurisdiction" move the beat infectiously forward. On "Faultlines," Please generate a funky groove that would leave most of today's indie acts in the dust.
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