The Gift Machine
…Don’t Turn Me Off
Knw Yr Own
While The Gift Machine may reasonably be termed an Americanized Supergrass, they still lack the consistency and sheer unabashed playfulness of their British counterparts. Playing bouncy ’60s pop with the hindsight of punk, 1980s indie rock and 1990s bedroom values, The Gift Machine are a highly likable proposition on tracks like the mid-tempo sing-along “A Bad Thing Worse” and the splendidly charming “In My Room.” However, while we may tolerate the overused backwards outro on the otherwise fine “Search So Hard,” The Gift Machine stretch most people’s patience with the tiresome psych-pop of “Jigsaw Blues” and “Rock and Roll Debut.”
There are several fine moments on here, though, and fans of everyone from Big Star to Capitol Years may potentially find something of interest. But The Gift Machine still lack the consistency and the uniqueness needed to truly set themselves apart from the masses. A noteworthy attempt, but only a half success this time around.
Knw Yr Own Records: http://www.knw-yr-own.com
