Posted on: January 6, 2009 Posted by: Jay NeuFutur Comments: 0

“Rock Bottom” starts off this self-titled release, and what comes forth is a pretty pop-oriented approached to indie rock. The tight bass lines are what will immediately shine to listeners, but it seems at this early juncture that there is little more to truly shine from Beware Fashionable Women. However, there are nine different tracks after that to choose from, the first of which is “Obligatory Tattoo”. “Obligatory Tattoo” changes the overall sound broached during “Rock Bottom” up in switching the focus constantly between the vocal and instrumental components of Beware Fashionable Women.

In fact, the only thing that could be seen as a holdover from “Obligatory Tattoo” would have to be the thick, ropy bass lines. While Beware Fashionable Women do find their way into a hooky type of sound during “Obligatory Tattoo”, the nonsensicalness of the title (and subject matter) reaches a They Might Be Giants level.

“The Great Corrupter (Of Youth) showcases a much more confident Beware Fashionable Women, setting a great foundation for which the vocals then can shine. The band is tremendously influenced by surf and psychedelic music (in fact, any rock music of the sixties seems to be warmly accepted by the members of the band), and the album struggles at time to showcase a Beware Fashionable Women type of unique sound, rather than the band playing homage to an old music style. “Parade” does a lot to allow Beware Fashionable Women to create their own music style; the earlier rock approach taken by the band during the other tracks on the album is melded well with a more current blend of the sounds of Weezer, The Killers, and even a hint of Muse. What Beware Fashionable Women do on this self-titled release is craft 10 distinct tracks that, taken together, are pretty solid. At the end of “The Big Yellow”, the disc’s final track, Beware Fashionable Women still are looking for their one big hit. Maybe it will be present on their next album, but what results here is a type of rock that could be a little bit better. Check them out in a few years.

Top Tracks: I’ll Be The DJ, Rock Bottom

Rating: 6.0/10

Beware Fashionable Women – S/T / 2008 Self / 10 Tracks / http://www.bewarefashionablewomen.com / http://www.spearheadaudio.com

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