Review of The Soft Pack Album by The Soft Pack
Having previously christened themselves with the ill-advised moniker of The Muslims, one would not be too surprised to see San Diego's The Soft Pack deviate as far as possible from their past life. However, when the propensity for writing snappy, infectious tunes is as vibrant and consistent as displayed on both this self-titled effort and its predecessor, it's easy to see why they've decided to stick to their guns.
While it's highly unlikely The Soft Pack are ever going to pick up many prizes in the originality stakes, there's little doubting the intentions of their wares not to mention a budding enthusiasm so lacking in many of their contemporaries at present. If anything, 'The Soft Pack' could even be described as something of a musical history lesson from the ramshackle days of early garage punk onwards, such are the reference points that punctuate this album from start to finish.
Comparisons with The Strokes are inevitable, and while there can't be much disputing the fact Julian Casablancas and co. made a heavy impression with many aspiring young bands on both sides of the Atlantic, The Soft Pack still manage to retain a vast proportion of their own identity here, despite the occasional retro tendencies. Singer Matt Lamkin has a voice that resembles a fusion of late seventies era Ric Ocasek swapping saliva with Paul Westerberg over lunch while Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper whisper sweet nothings in the background.
Musically terse and raucous, The Soft Pack sound like one of those bands who must surely be a producer and recording engineer's dream, making every effort to get a whole album finished in one take. Its this wham-bam-thankyou-mam ethic that makes 'The Soft Pack' an enjoyable experience and one you're unlikely to get bored or distracted with, bearing in mind it reaches its climax in approximately half an hour.
The classic US rock'n'roll attack of 'Cmon' and Television go punk of 'Down On Loving' set the scene impeccably for what follows over the course of the next eight numbers, and while there is a slight suspicion that The Soft Pack could be derided as one-trick ponies, the Kinks vibe of 'More Or Less' and washed out surf pop of 'Mexico' suggest otherwise, even hinting at a slightly more introverted approach than the foot-to-the-floor frat rock most people had come to expect.
Overall, 'The Soft Pack' is a sprightly collection of punk-infused pop songs that for all their derivative flaws, actually possess a timeless feel meaning they wouldn't sound out of place in any of the past four decades, and as compliments go, it really doesn't get any higher than that.
3.5/5
Dom Gourlay
