Freak Magnet
Formed in the early 1980s, the Violent Femmes  and their folky, quirky, acoustic-driven take on power pop gained them a reputation as the freakish cousins of the then-massive new-wave movement. It also gave them quite a huge following, especially after the success of theirdebut. Their formula was simple: Gordon Gano's adenoidal whine and offbeat lyrics coupled with Brian Ritchie's frenzied acoustic bass and a simple, stripped down drum kit. Almost two decades later, their formula really hasn't changed much;Freak Magnetcouldn't really have been performed by anyone other than the Violent Femmes. Gordon Gano still knows how to write great pop songs, and "Hollywood Is High," "Sleepwalkin'," or "New Generation" could have easily appeared on any previous Violent Femmes release.Freak Magnetis not the sound of a band maturing or exploring a new sound or even expanding on an old one; rather, it's the sound of a band comfortably within its element. After the feeble effort of 1994'sNew Times,Freak Magnetis a fantastic return to form.--Robert Burrow