The Boo Radleys
C’mon Kids

Mercury

C’mon kids don’t do yourself down/
throw your arms for a new sound are
the opening lyrics to the electrifying
title track of the new Boo Radleys CD.
The Boo Radleys haven’t created a
totally new sound, but a synthesis of
older sounds as well as some nifty
effects with synthesizers and other
digital equipment. In addition, lyrics on
this CD are interesting and original.

The Boo Radleys kind of sound like
Blur, the Beatles, Pink Floyd and
anything else you could imagine. Every
time | listened to this album | could
hear more influences. This band has
great potential to hit the charts.

The only thing | would criticize them
for is the tactic of changing styles right
in the middle of a song almost unex-
pectedly. The style changes clash, like
wearing florescent pink and green
together. Perhaps this is because
many of the style changes are from
pop to harsh guitar distortion. Note: I’m
not a fan of thrash metal.

Beyond this slight problem I'll have
to say | like this album. It has enough

 

interesting sounds and thought
provoking lyrics to keep me listening
over and over.

Andrew Carroll

Matthew Sweet
Blue Sky on Mars

BMG

| had always meant to pick up a Matt
Sweet album, but never had, until this
latest release. There was something
just too earnest about the artist; he
seemed too enthusiastic about what he
did, and in this age of distance and
cynicism, Sweet seemed to not fit in
somehow. Nevermind the tasty songs
he’s come up with on albums past
(‘Sick of Myself,’ for instance) the
usually voluminous Matthew Sweet
sections at used record stores swayed
me more than his melodies, however
infectious they were.

Sweet’s newest, Blue Sky on Mars,
though, is a nice place to start off. The
12 tracks are short, simple, and sweet
(at about three minutes a pop, the
album lasts only 36 minutes), but they
have that type of post-exam summery
impact that seems to elude you the

Reese eee
AustTIN Powers: INTERNATIONAL MAN oF Mystery

Marcel Martin

 

This is the best comedy of 1997 to
date. It would be nice to see the movie
again so | could laugh at some of the
more esoteric jokes. Watching this is a
must for any James Bond fanatic.
Remember the “Hot Shots” movies?
Austin Powers portrays international
1997 spy tactics in a more realistic
manner. Mike Myers is one of the best
Canadian comedians to ever emigrate
to the southern 48. His portrayal is so
bloody amazing that any person
watching the flick would believe that he
was, in reality, the best swinging
detective in history: 1967 or 1997.
The movie begins by explaining the
origins of the international man of

434 A&E

mystery himself: Austin Powers, whose
middle name just happens to be
“danger.” It is Powers’ objective in
1976 to rid the world of the notorious
Mr. Evil. Through the magic of technol-
ogy, Mr. Evil is frozen and disappears
for 30 years. Powers, dedicated chap
that he is, has himself frozen as well,
so he can be re-animated in the event
of Mr. Evil’s return.

The weird thing about this movie is
that it is not merely about escapism.
There are subtle attempts at interpreta-
tive concepts. Look for the parody of
Hugh Grant’s big adventure with Divine
Brown. To say there was a connection
between Tiannamen Square and the
steamroller scene is a bit of a stretch,
but considering the ramifications of

more you search for it. Yet, with lyrics
like | haven’t been a good friend/for a
long, long time, the artist seems
occasionally like Matthew Bittersweet,
which saves the album from becoming
too sugary. There seem to be some
blues behind the Blue Sky.

There are a couple of tiring bits—if |
never hear a song about the subject of
the first track ‘Come to California’
again, it'll be too soon, and also the
requisite ballad sounds like, well, a
requisite ballad—but there is a hell of a
lot more on the disc to compensate for
that. ‘Where Do You Get Love’ comes
to mind, a song that will drive you
through the wall, if’n your neighbors
aren’t home and you can really crank
the volume. Blue Sky will also appeal
to the masses of air-guitarists and air-
drummers out there that are looking for
some good aerobic action. You'll lose
inches—instantly!

Unapologetically poppy and relent-
lessly exuberant, Blue Sky is not only a
great stretching exercise for the
summer, it hits the spot like the first
patio beer of the season. (Mmm, patio
beer...)

Jim

July 1 and Hong Kong's re-unification
with China, this may not be an unbe-
lievable notion.

This is merely an introduction to the
international man of mystery. To go on
and on would do an injustice to the
innocent fun had by all who see the
film. So go out and watch Austin
Powers: International Man of Mystery if
you like to be in a theater where 400
people are laughing at a riotous pace.

If you like monsters eating humans,
see the movie to witness the trailer for
The Lost World. Be ready for this one,
because the trailer offered a tiny
glimpse into what could be the highest
grossing propaganda (media) blitz to
hit the earth since 1993, when the
original Jurassic Park was released. @