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Paleophonic, The Rubinoos' first album of newly recorded material in 19 years, is chock full of fine
tunes, but those of you who expect it to be the second coming of Back To
The Drawing Board should take note that these songs are not all youthful
anthems about falling in love and arcades. Rather, Paleophonic is a varied
collection that displays a far-reaching musical scope within the pop genre.
Jon Rubin's voice is as strong and self-assured as ever, sounding as if
he hasn't aged a bit, and the band's harmonies are as perfect as a newborn
baby. Old fans will take comfort in and absolutely love the opening cut
Amnesia, as well as No More Where She Came From and Pursuit Of Happiness,
all of which follow the traditional formula. However, when the guys break
away from what they're known for, they do it with panache and unyielding
skill, such as on You Don't Know Her, a country-ish harmonic exercise which
would have fit perfectly on Beatles For Sale; So Much For Fairytales, whose
diverse guitar licks dance around each other to create exotic images, the
50s rhythm-and-blues-group-styled Life In The Slow Lane, and Can I, a garage/glammy
tune on which Rubin cuts loose in a way not heard before. These beloved
popsters worked long and hard on this album, and it was indeed worth the
wait.- David Bash, Bucketful of Brains
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