2003 release ex-00 Spies frontman and songwriter Rick Hromadka and his crack band! A dash of Cheap Trick, a sprinkle of ELO and Klaatu with some Jellyfish on the side(well, both sides), and a big dollop of The Beatles puts a definition of Maple Mars. It has an warm, sunny and strong paisley spirit that one sees with some of the better bands in Los Angeles(their home)......fans of Cloud Eleven, Wondermints and Chewy Marble will hear the inspiration of their fellow musicians in the area. Like their debut record(sadly, out of print on the much missed Permanent Press Records label, this one is on Kool Kat, who are shifting into very fine gear with some cool new label releases in 2003, here's to hoping there's lots more like this), the sophmore effort here blends and bleeds similar sounds of the previous album and throws a bit more panache, power and confidence into corners and fresh, more worked-out arrangements. There's a more established, tight band here playing this material, which helps greatly. But its the songs that stand tall. And they cut loose and float high over the landscape of the panoply of their influences.
Extremely Highly Recommended! – Not Lame