2006-08-07
This is a fresh sound with echoes of old Brit pop groups and harmonies reminiscent of The Beachboys and The Sunshine Company. To steal a couple licks from the promo lit, The Independent called this music "British psychedelic oddball" and The Times said "psychedelic sunshine pop." That just about sums it up. It is easy to imagine Zappa and his former Turtles considering Jim Noir's realm before zooming off in his own quirky direction. Like Zappa, Noir doesn't necessarily break the rules of music as much as he redefines them to suit his style. Noir is easier to listen to than Frank et al and has good range, although not necessarily across genres in the ways we normally think. From top to bottom, very listenable. One red flag: by the time I got to the end of this CD, I was having a difficult time taking this guy seriously. "Where's the beef?" as they used to say. – Michael BurgwinThe opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.