One of the best albums you may have missed in 2005 was made by Vermont’s latest phenomenal pop combo, the men with the mojo themselves (that’s all in their own words, of course); yes, I virtually speak of none other than Raquel’s Boys, and their Music For The Girl You Love.
Well, that was then, but NOW they’ve just recorded their very second long-player, The Spy Business, and it just may be every bit as clandestinely coooool as their first outing was, and forever shall be:
Kicking straight off with “Let’s Live,” the Great Neil Young / Big Star Duet That (unfortunately) Never Was, the boys’ latest forty minutes is more than chockfull of semi-reverent nods towards the sonic past (“Alice Faye” may just as well be the choicest of all possible pre-Cheap Trick demos, “Underdog” pits David Watts vs. Victoria and the Bubblegum-go-round, then “Springtime” absolutely squeals out for a brand new Turtles album already!!).
But that’s not all: “The Greatest Show Of All” and “Undercover” especially truly deserve immediate soundtrack duty on the Cartoon Network’s latest Puffy TV series, while “Orange Soda” – appearing very soon indeed on JAM Recordings’ next This Is Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio comp — takes Teenage Fanclub down to the local Dairy Queen and THEN some.
Still, your ears, like mine, may find themselves most drawn to an uncharacteristically Raquelian sweet and even soft trio of tracks (“Pupils,” “Only Kisses,” and “Pal”) which are as delightfully delicate musically as they are intriguing lyrically. Such nice li’l totally disarming charmers they are, you know.
So, this album isn’t quite out yet, I do not think. But when it does appear, you know I’ll be all over it for you, yes indeed.
Stay Totally Tuned then…..