Okay, it s a concept album. It s an ambitious if macabre endeavor, one that only Poe could have turned into such a brilliant and enjoyable album. What separates the album from its competition is Poe s smart and emotionally charged songwriting, rife with raw energy balanced by gorgeously understated hooks. The first half of the disc is heavy on attitude.
Control is a Garbage-style pop anthem of defiance.
Catchy grooves drive Hey Pretty and the dark yet melodic title track, two of the album s highlights. Samples of her father s voice from old cassettes are interspersed throughout, creating a dreamy and at times eerie continuity. The rest of us can rejoice in its originality and thank our lucky stars that Poe had the confidence and imagination to make it. This delightful S.F. quintet boasting a trio of femme players and singers delivers its breezy confections with relaxed and guileless conviction. Sure, the bouncy Blowin Bubbles and Nightflight recall the pleasant naivet of 60s- 70s bands like the Carpenters, but add dashes of lounge, Caucasian funk, pedal steel, cello and close, siblinglike harmonies, and you ve got futuristic pop that doesn t need a spoonful of sugar to go down.