Econoline Crush
Brand New History
EMI
Brand New History is good music to pop in the CD player of your ‘84 Camaro and let your golden mullet haircut fly in the breeze as you go cruisin’ for chicks. I’m not entirely sure what to make of this CD, except that there’s definitely a real strong ’80s influence. Econoline Crush attempts to combine rock and electronica, with some success. “Make It Right” starts off this sometimes confused sounding collection of songs, and it refers to some everlasting fight. I’m not sure what they’re fighting against, but they feel very strongly about it, because “the fight” is referred to many, many times throughout the album.
The ’80s influences make it interesting, though. At times they sound like New Order, and the first two tracks have a blues sort of feel to them, with intricate, funk style basslines. Maybe Econoline Crush is a great live act, because apparently they toured with Kiss. However, Brand New History neither rocks real hard nor dies away. I still don’t know why I can’t get the picture of a hairy man wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd T-shirt and holding a beer out of my head when I listen to this CD.