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Synko

Crustacean Fixation

Label:

3733
athomas by Andy (quirk) Thomas April 15th, 2003

The strangest bands come out of Lancaster and Synko are no exception. Featuring a mounted lobster on a swing on the front cover suggests that this particular five piece have no issues with being taken less than seriously. Carol, Ross, Frazer, John, and Nathan are having fun, coming across as a ska-free regional No Doubt.

Opening track, 'Love Is', is a bouncy little ditty of almost musical theatre proportions. The boy/girl call and response structure playing on the same comedy aspects of similar efforts from Lodger and Cerys Matthews vs Jarvis Cocker. It's punkpop with a Kids From Fame dynamic.

This pretty much lays down the template for the other three songs here. 'Cheap Alternative' is a tongue in cheek gentleman's club showgirl effort. Someone in this band watched Chicago and figured they could recreate its essence with a rinky-dink piano and warbly guitar line. Again, quite amusing if not totally essential. 'It's The Same' is a bit more traditional with its sanitised Teen Spirt-alike guitar riff and shouty chorus. Final track, 'Plastics On The Beach', brings the chirpy piano back in for a choppy knees up before disappearing into a ska breakdown.

Crustacean Fixation is looking to raise a smile and it certainly does that. It's a bit disposable and they aren't looking to deeply affect anyone, but hey, that's pop for you.

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