Pale Moon Gang
Pale Moon Gang
Fast Loose
Richard Dev Greene has a classic greaser punk voice and a perfect distortion setting on his guitar amp. These are the things I like most about NYC’s Pale Moon Gang.
What I’m not thrilled about are the mundane lyrics, the predictable melodies, and the songs that were built on a good idea, but never quite delivered. There’s a feeling of promise beneath the surface of many of their self-titled album’s songs – so much so that it’s almost offensive when the songs end up fizzling halfway through.
“Dead Seventeen,” which sounds a lot like Nirvana’s “Negative Creep” re-vamped and given a rockabilly spin, has all the makings of greatness, but falls victim to boring lyrics and an unsatisfying bridge. “Yea X 3” busts out of the gate strong, but disappoints after the initial thrill of the first riff wears off. The album closer, “Live For Today,” seems to be reaching for a Clash comparison, but it comes off as a weak Green Day impression – and only in terms of its melody. Vocally, Greene sounds like a strained Neil Diamond.
Perhaps because it stands out as the odd song in the bunch, “Sweet Stuff Doc” is the big winner here. Greene sets aside his Iggy Pop vocal tendencies and slows things down in a manner closer to Lou Reed. It’s the undisputed champion of the record.
Pale Moon Gang: http://www.myspace.com/palemoongang • Get Happy: http://www.get-happy-records.com
