Yup, I too thought a ‘Supergroup’ had to be comprised three-parts Superpeople to one-part anonymous bass-player, and I too thought they had to be famous. But times they are a-changin. The success of Brakes and Babyshambles should tell you that. So what is it that makes Dallas-based ‘Supergroup’ that super? Well, even taking into account the fact that none of them were ever really that famous (with the exception of some of them having shared a stage with the likes of Velvet Revolver, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Papa Roach and singer Vaden Todd Lewis formerly of post-grunge Fort Worth band, Toadies) what makes them super is the band’s ability to construct Velcro-like rock tunes of such instant, momentous joy that you could hitch them to a missile and destroy large swathes of Shia insurgents in the time it takes to say ‘I Got Blisters On My Fingers’. Big chunky tunes with a glamorous/gothic bent. Bit like Thin Lizzy mashed up with Pet Sounds. Strangely, it’s bass player Justin Meldal-Johnson who this time grabs all the headlines, having played with Gnarls Barkely, Beck, Air, Ima Robot. Not your average supergroup by any means. The album is produced Grammy award winning producer Joe Chiccarelli (The Shins, U2, Beck, Hole).
Tracks worth the price of entry alone include the ticklishly, hip-swivelling ‘Good Night From Chicago’, the rim-shooting, ‘Oh Cecelia’, the weird and the wonky looking-glass epic, ‘It’s Time’ and the lizzying, falsetto grunge stunt, ‘Still’.
Best of the tracks occur before half-time, but that shouldn’t spoil the rest of the game.
A handsome and muscular oddball with only the smallest of cod-pieces.