Boyscout Superhero
(Sugar Free)
Today’s indie bands are the true rock and roll foot soldiers, clearing the land mines, keeping the dream alive, riding in vans, playing shows for free beer with slightly out of tune guitars. Among these noble young people, Sunset Valley has proven themselves in line for a promotion with their second release, Boyscout Superhero. A fine amalgam of indie styles, this record, while perhaps relying a bit too much on the blueprint of mid-to-late period Pavement (think of the wide stylistic swath cut by Wowee Zowee and you’ll have a pretty good idea), has nevertheless fashioned a completely listenable, guitar driven disc.
Alongside the band’s Malkmus-isms, (especially the lyrics to some of the tunes, like these from “Fairy Theory”: “I’ve got a fairy theory/you’re sunset smile is flawless/a tooth-reflection galaxy/a croquet matchbox miracle) they toss in a dash of Beck’s genre cut-ups (“Megapills”) and some Sabbath sludge (“Tornado”) to keep things from getting rutted. Wisely, they keep things brief and brisk, not letting something that might not be their best idea slow them down. They get it out there, give it a good whack, and move along.
At their best, including the somewhat strange, doll-obssessed tunes “Doll Eating Man” and “Doll Hill”, the Sunsets come on like a slightly more angular Ditch Croaker, a band that knocked out some of the best post-Pavement indie puss after Malkmus and Co. entered their second-drummer, calmer phase. And as dutiful foot soldiers, Sunset Valley are quite worthy of the attention fans of the Pave and Sebadoh should be directing their way.
Stinkweeds, 2000
