Reissue: The Feelies, Crazy Rhythms

Every song on this album fades in, but each time into some new variation on jangle pop guitars and a clean, up front overall sound. The Feelies' debut album had its fair share of critical success in 1980, still managing to shine in music magazines up against the likes of Boys Don't Cry by the Cure, Closer by Joy Divison, The Specials, The Buzzcocks, and a slew of other big names. Crazy Rhythms seems to be drastically unappreciated in the popular realm. The album is very feel-good and is rather straight forward indie-twee, but it really follows a model more like REM and helps to define "college rock" of the 1980s. They even cover a Beatles song, speeding it up and peppering an underground feel to it. Crazy Rhythms feels as though its being played intimately, the live sound of them in basement seems to be captured well in their studio sound. The title track feels like early Talking Heads, with vocalists Glenn Mercier and Bil Million belting:

You remind me of a TV show
That's alright, I watch it anyway
I don't talk much cause it gets in the way
Don't let it get in the way

We'll do our job, we'll get things done
Work real hard and get things done
It's time to sail but not now
Can't relax when there's things to do

On many of their songs, they jam over the quick back beat creating drawn out dance interludes which seem to launch back into choruses and verses with quick, clean enthusiastic abandon. The quirky Fa-Ce La is a good culmination of minimal keyboard work, crisp drumming, and fast-paced, washed guitar. Boy with the Perpetual Nervousness seems to define their hip-nerd style of post punk. Raised Eyebrows, after a choppy start, hits a wall of party chanting at the 2:13 mark, shouts of "he said oh" and a distorted guitar sounding larger than their native New Jersey.

Fans of Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, or Cake: tuck in your shirt and put on your glasses.