Senseless Things The First Of Too Many

Senseless Things The First Of Too Many

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Senseless Things' debut album, The First of Too Many, is a technicolor blast of frolicsome fun, from the typically bonkers Jamie Hewlett cover art through to the sunny melodies, shimmering production, and youthful energy that the band exude like sweat beads on the pogoing bodies of happy clubgoers. The rough-and-tumble vocals of Mark Keds pair perfectly with Ben Harding's powerful guitar crunch and the rhythm section's turbo-powered kick. Most of the album zooms past, riding a wave of punky dynamics, sing-along choruses, and snarky lyrics. They temper the rush and clatter with a surprisingly tender and sometimes sentimental side that's quite appealing. A song like "Best Friend" has all the razor-sharp guitar and rock-hard sonics one might expect from a band steeped in alt-rock and punk, while the lyrical sweetness and pristine vocal harmonies give the song some depth and staying power. It's a trick they pull off time after time -- except when they are just being bratty kids like on "Radio Spiteful," which is fun, too. The best moments on the album are when they veer far away from the punk side of the pop punk equation and aim for the heart of the pop side. The jangling guitars and harmonies of "Ex-Teenager" are classic power pop, "Fishing at Tesco's" goes full Replacements with some nice acoustic guitar strumming and a loping, hangdog beat, and "Should I Feel It" sounds like it ought to be the lead-off track on every power pop collection ever put together. Tempering these high points, there are a few times when they get a little close to the alt-rock cliches of the day -- especially on the downbeat grunge ballads "American Dad" and "Different Tongues" -- and the album sags just a touch. "Got It at the Delmar" is a little corny as well, with its rave-y sound effects and Flea-lite bass plunking, but somehow, mostly thanks to the raw energy the band pour into it, the song works like a charm. That element of energy goes a long way to explaining why this album is so good. At this point, Senseless Things were a whirling ball of energy, in touch equally with their punk and pop sides, and as long as they didn't get too serious, they sounded a lot like the best little band around.