Stephen Mejias

I wish somebody would give this band a miracle tweak. This song sounds like 1991 and I don't really like it. Actually: I almost hate it. It has that fat, clunky, doo-da-dum chug-a-lug-lug lead bass crap that, if I follow too closely, makes me want to slice my ears off. I remember John Atkinson once saying that Pencey Prep's bass player was "too busy." My god, Lowest's bass player makes Pencey's sound like a complete slacker.

I can say, though, that the Arros are able to keep up. I'm certainly annoyed.

I mentioned a very audible, mechanical-sounding glitch in the beginning of "A Penny More." In "Salesmen, Cheats and Liars," I'm noticing a similar disturbance throughout most of the song. I think it's just that the strumming of the acoustic guitars isn't sitting well in the mix. You know what I'm talking about? That raking, strumming sound? It's too bright. It slices through the mix, all glare and etch. This, combined with the aforementioned bass, makes the band sound sloppy.

I guess they are sloppy, though.

At the same time, I can imagine enjoying this band's live performance. I see a lot of beer-splashing and some playful pushing and shoving. Which always made for a good show. If I was standing against the wall, in some dark corner somewhere. The Arros seem to communicate the recklessness of it all. The DeVores, on the other hand, make it seem as if the band spent all night practicing — sober, even — and are playing the tightest set of their lives.

Maybe it's just that I don't like punk rock. Hardcore!