Darlington
Girltroversy
Last Beat
Boy, talk about bubble-gum pop guitars and hip-wimp vocals! My impression: Darlington is a hetero Pansy Division! This disk literally drips pop marshmallow fluff! It’s so happy-cutesy I want to scream for joy!
You don’t believe me? Try these lyrics on for size: “I want a girl who’s as sweet as all the candy in the world/I want a girl who’s as sweet as vanilla ice cream… “ That’s from a song called “Sugar Fix.” Now imagine a slowed-down Ramones beat, and there you have it. Boy, is this goo-goo gaa-gaa music or what?
However, getting into the songs, I’ve found that Darlington has a dark side. “Jodie Foster” is about wanting to meet Jodie Foster (“… have you ever heard of JFA?/I Don’t have you autograph… lets go ride skateboards and bomb garages… “), and while it’s an upbeat “happy” tune, deep-down it’s probably a hitherto unknown John Hinckley letter put to dreamy power pop. “Infection” is one of the sickest love songs yet written, where the protagonist describes his love in terms of being a venereal disease and how he would like to “… be the herpes cold sore hurting your lips… “ “Espresso” is the slowest song on the album, just thought I’d mention that for added irony. Girltroversy will cause controversy – trick your square friends into listening to “nice” music that’s not nice at all. Last Beat Records, 2819 Commerce St., Dallas, TX 75226
