The Glands
Double Thriller
Bar/None
Like floating underwater, with the sounds of the pool party floating in from the surface. Despite the plural noun name and the composited thrift store cover, the Glands transcend their average look to form some brilliant experimental pop, filled with moody chords and cleverly arranged songs. “Pretty Merrina” is slow and drawling, and though the chorus seems trite at first (with its sotto voce “ah, yeah”), after the first listen it’s the only appropriate flourish to this gorgeous ballad. “Call Me Doctor” is a short acoustic number featuring a fairly straightforward steel-string guitar background and an odd lyrical message that competes with the friendly melody for attention. The disc is bookended by “Two Dollar Wine” and “Two Dollar Reprise,” a song that blends wavering guitar with a loping bass line and a melancholy chorus of voices, perfect for soaking in a hot tub with the lights off. And with that return to water, we conclude this review. Bar/None Records, P.O. Box 1704, Hoboken, NJ 07030; http://www.bar-none.com
