Search - 101 :: Green Street

Great follow up to Christie Front Drive

Destroy Boy | www.ohboydestroy.com | 12/27/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the debut effort of the latest band from the founder of seminal mid-90's emo band Christie

Front Drive (and more recently, the too dreamy Antartica). While the vocals are delivered by the

same person, giving fans of Christie Front Drive a point for comparison, I can honestly say there's

very little resemblance between the two bands. Apart from a penchant for delivering a steady

sound by building on a particular riff, the 101 sound could more easily be compared to a less

aggressive New Sweet Breath. That means dynamic pop songs heavy on driving guitar hooks

and vocals lower in the mix that really let the music shine. Nothing from the sometimes plodding,

mellow Christie Front Drive days remain.



Whereas New Sweet Breath relied more on speed, the 101 prefers a tight mid-paced sound

punctuated with liberal downstroking reminiscent of the first Hot Snakes album but no where

near as heavy. Now the astute reader will notice I said this band is not heavy and not fast so if

that's the only cup of tea you drink then there's lots of other records reviewed here to punish your

eardrums.



For those still with us, it's hard to think of another pop record in recent memory that can hook you

in more completely than this record. It seems like almost every song has an instantly memorable

riff that in combination with the steady, if not urgent, vocals creates a powerful impression on the

listener. This pace and mood is kept throughout the album with the last track clocking in at

upwards of seven minutes but always keeping you hooked in. This record is definitely getting a

ton of play at my house and I sincerely hope the 101 is more prolific than his previous bands.



Check out more reviews at ohboydestroy."