The Absolute Zeros
Dreams Gone Sour
Big Deal
Really high-quality power pop that had me hooked after one listen. The sound isn’t overpowering at all, but perfectly balanced guitar melodies and vocal harmonies. I’m reminded of “pop” bands that seemed to hit the colleges in the late 1980s, but with a lot more of an edge and plenty of octane.
The Absolute Zeros are the latest effort from former Chopper frontman Steven Deal, who obviously wanted to put together an album of upbeat tunes culling from all the greats of punk and power pop. On a lot of the songs, for instance, “Rip My Heart Out” and “In Your Head,” I kept thinking of song’s I’d heard before, on the Who’s Sell Out or A Quick One. Fascinating that the Absolute Zeros’ press material cites the Who as a band they “borrowed” from…
Any band that can steal as well as these guys should be saluted! And I mean that in all charity!
Dreams Gone Sour has fifteen great songs, all of which contain powerful melodic guitars, interesting keyboards on occasion, good crisp vocals, and plenty of humor. For example, “Tiger Beat,” is an anthem to that ubiquitous teeny bopper magazine that just has to be read, doesn’t it? “Mr. Wonderful” is about a superhero who takes over when Superman and Batman are long gone and does some real day-saving. There’s even a song that seems to mention something funny about our president. For those of us who appreciate the upbeat, this is one you should check out. Big Deal, P.O. Box 2072, Peter Stuyvesant Station, New York, NY 10009
