Atlantic Thrills

"Garage Rock" has been cut up into so many subgenres and had its gene pool polluted to the point where it's difficult to remember what an honest to goodness garage band even sounds like anymore. Let Atlantic Thrills remind you. There are a lot of groups today playing in one corner of the genre, playing the same old song over and over - some do it well, some not. But there aren't many bands that can play across the board, any style - agitated punkers, reverb-drenched wailers, drug-soaked psych-outs, beach party anthems, moody slow burners, twanged-up poppers - the Thrills provide you with all of that, and in spades. As great as "Day At The Beach" was as a single, don't let it fool you into thinking these guys are all sunshine and kegs - there's lots to brood on here, plenty of shadows and alleys to wander in the midst of the partying and dancing. Good and evil, yin and yang, uppers and downers, rock and roll, Atlantic Thrills play it all across the duration of this LP, a hot dozen cooked to perfection in the studio and laid on wax for your pleasure. One of the best true garage rock records to come down the pike in some time, and perfect listening to help make spring and summer seem that much closer - or at least keep you warm until then.