Minneapolis
pop-
punk trio
the Mood Swings debut with Come on Tell Me, a near-perfect mix of bratty
garage rock pouting and sweet
pop melodies. Singer/guitarist
Sallie Watson's voice recalls
the Muffs'
Kim Shattuck in her ability to switch smoothly between full-tilt rockers like "In a Pinch" and catchier tunes like the exhilarating "Hey!" and the keyboard-spiked
power pop of "Stir It Up," which compare favorably to
the Bangles' early
garage-
folk incarnation before 1980s production techniques and outside writers smothered all their originality. The punkier tunes are in more of a
Ramones/
Undertones '60s-update mode than the glam-metal end of the style, "Finest Line" and "Knocked Down" being the best examples here. The only qualm comes from the tinny,
lo-fi production that does the songs no favors. Bassist
Ashley Prenzlow in particular should be annoyed at how invisible her parts are in the mix. That aside, Come on Tell Me is an entertaining slice of unpretentious, spunky
power pop. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
