Figgs Slow Charm CD

Slow Charm by the Figgs is a mostly solid collection of pub rock/pop-punk music. However, it contains a few slow songs and an occasional bland vocal performance, plus it doesn't quite convey the inspired sense of rollicking fun that separates a great album that immediately grabs your attention from an agreeable album that requires time to sink in. Consequently, some Figgs fans may consider it to be a bit lackluster, although it holds up well against most of the competition. In any case, the songs are generally appealing: "Sit and Shake" is basic meat-and-potatoes rock & roll; "Public Transportation" is an unhurried not-quite-melancholy song about a lost child that's hooked around the repetition of the word "sad"; "Metal Detector" is a pleasing power pop number with theremin added for extra flavoring; "Static" sounds like early XTC doing ska; the not-quite-funky "Soon" is reminiscent of Joe Jackson's "Look Sharp" with some extra keyboard plinking; and both "Back to Being" and "The Trench" are relatively catchy. So while the band doesn't always sound like they're on fire, this is a likable album if you give it a chance. ~ Todd Kristel

When 15-year old Mike Gent first met up with 14-year old Pete Donnelly at a public high school in Saratoga Springs, NY the two could not have imagined that their mutual obsession with rock music would result in a band that Billboard would call "...one of America's best kept rock 'n' roll secrets."The mid-90's saw The Figgs go from being the biggest draw in Albany, NY to signing two major label record deals (Imago, Capitol), doing the Warped Tour, and extended tours with Weezer, The Cranberries, and Jimmy Eat World. While their contemporaries seem to have either catapulted onto the national radar or disappeared completely, The Figgs relentlessly keep playing shows marked by sweat soaked excitement and making innovative and energetic albums year after year.Such is the case with their fifth full-length release Slow Charm. While containing vintage Figgs riffs, the kind of riffs that are hard as a baseball bat and as smart as the eye that successfully swings it, Slow Charm also teaches on a new learning curve for band and fans alike. The new record goes far beyond simply demonstrating that the band has not lost their flair for foot stomping rockers. "There Are Never Too Alike" and "Back To Being" are proof that the former high school buddies could teach a grad level course on rock hooks to upstart youngsters. What people will hear on "Sit and Shake" and "The Trench" will defy them not to bob their heads and Slow Charm's meditative melodies continue to show that unlike many of today's new rock offerings, The Figgs have never been a one-trick pony. Not normally associated with the frenetic Figgs of the past, the melancholy moodiness of songs like "Public Transportation" and "Protocol" portray a thoughtfulness following some previous night's turbulence that the band had only hinted at previously.While the performances on Slow Charm display a band that has obviously benefited from countless nights on the road, the song-writing signifies time well spent with a legendary collaborator. The Figgs have been the backing band for highly respected British rocker Graham Parker since 1997.The collaboration between GP and The Figgs has yielded a live album, The Last Rock 'n' Roll Tour (Razor & Tie) and several tours sharing the stage with the likes of U2 and Frank Black. The Figgs are often called upon to open Parker's shows with their own set before backing him. This arrangement often results in the band playing some 40 songs in a night in addition to touring nationally behind their own regular releases, a tradition that will continue with Slow Charm.Most bands that start in high school don't have the dedication to hang in there for fifteen years, strike a couple of major label deals, and have a catalog of 7 full-length LPs, 3 EPs, an out-takes record, and 15 7"singles. With the longevity of their career, it isMagnet (1/03, p.84) - "...The Figgs' real forte is evoking the springing-out-of-its-breeches exuberance of late-70s new wave/power pop....Time and again, these guys get the knack..."i