Light years ahead of their demos in both production and songwriting,
Fat Amy's 5-Way Switch showcases singer
Bobby Guiney's powerful songwriting and the band's talent for writing the big hooks. The addition of
Kirk Reedy to the guitar arsenal greatly expanded the band's sound, allowing
Mark Meyers to tear off whenever he felt like it, leaving
Reedy to hold down the rhythm. The leadoff track, "All the Same," would prove to be one of the band's finest -- with its loping sea shantey rhythm and searing guitar riff, the song abruptly changes gears during the choruses to sweetly croon before building up to the tidal wave of the verses again. The rapid-fire power of "Break the Ease" would have sounded right at home on what would become "modern rock radio," and the revamped recording of their anthem "Purple" gels better than their earlier attempts. The album ends on a softer note with an acoustic track that lacks a little of the band's passion, and an unnecessary hidden cover of
the Grass Roots' "Temptation Eyes," but these two tracks in no way mar the sheer rock joy of this band in its prime. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide
