Well, the Austin, Texas trio are back and with a vengeance!
The
Harsh Light of Day is the sophomore effort from the band
that brought us "The Way," in 1998's platinum
debut, "All the Pain Money Can Buy," (Man, these
guys have great album titles!!!), and they're showing no
signs of slowing down.
On
their latest CD, a truly smokin' single, "You're an
Ocean," is already hitting the charts with full force.
This cut is a very witty, '60's-flavoured pop tune with
all the fixins, including a very convincing slide guitar
solo! Fastball's brilliantly modern take on retro rock is
sure to win our hearts once again (not to mention some serious
album sales!).
Miles
Zuniga (guitar, vocals), takes centre stage to set the pace
with his searing opener, "This is Not My Life."
This track definitely sounds reminiscent of such landmark
performers as The Who, early Iggy Pop and The Stooges, not
to mention a whole lot of other grand-daddies responsible
for the pre-punk rock movement. It's extremely evident that
Fastball draws on some great song writing influences.
Tony
Scalzo (bass, vocals), conveys a really extensive knowledge
of word play and metaphorical lyric-writing in the dramatic
samba, "Love is Expensive and Free," (which also
features resident "swinger," Brian Setzer on slide
guitar). With Joey Shuffield contibuting his dynamic drumming
style, Miles and Tony share bitter-sweet vocal harmonies
in the haunting, "Funny How it Fades Away," a
song that should definitely give the band some serious commercial
longevity.
Though the playing is uncomplicated and the guitar solos
are sparse, there is a hidden beauty in Fastball's simplicity.
That, with the solid song writing, all adds up to create
a wonderful sonic whole. The three Texans are not only staring
into this harsh light they speak of, they're basking in
it.
Review
by Zack Salsberg, 2001
