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My Pet Junkie 'Overhanging' (Riverrun Records)
'Overhanging' gains maximum points for pure cheek in its sharp and rumbling course. With a catchy scream the song picks up the listener and drops them with the most cleverly dumb use of dynamics: switching from fast punk-pop to quasi-metal like a bad (meaning good) DJ flicks between tape decks. The recording could, very easily, have overcautiously taken the live fun out of it, or the would-be-bratty rock vocal could've gone over the top, but the trio save the song with their toyshop Tom Morello guitars tuned to 'painful'. I could talk about the individual sound of each instrument but I'd rather be dancing

Just to be different, track 2 'Breathing Without Living' is a gently persuasive acoustic one, and demonstrates why MPJ are among few bands who can get away with using bongos. Style-hopping as only a small-town band can (and as more bands should do, before the band gets bigger and starts to be pigeonholed), they combine classically melodic indie-rock with the infectious enthusiasm more often found in bands who can barely tune a string, let alone string together a tune. Track 3 'Particle' is proof as something like a junior Jonny Greenwood joking with a funny Pixies riff. Songs well-crafted with a bit of dirt thrown on top - and a studio argument about a mullet - what more do you want for your money?

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(About A Mullet is the new Hugh Grant film written by Nick Hornby)

(Nov '03) / home / reviews index My Pet Junkie 'Overhanging' (Riverrun Records) 'Overhanging' gains maximum points for pure cheek in its sharp and rumbling course. With a catchy scream the song picks up the listener and drops them with the most cleverly dumb use of dynamics: switching from fast punk-pop to quasi-metal like a bad (meaning good) DJ flicks between tape decks. The recording could, very easily, have overcautiously taken the live fun out of it, or the would-be-bratty rock vocal could've gone over the top, but the trio save the song with their toyshop Tom Morello guitars tuned to 'painful'. I could talk about the individual sound of each instrument but I'd rather be dancing Just to be different, track 2 'Breathing Without Living' is a gently persuasive acoustic one, and demonstrates why MPJ are among few bands who can get away with using bongos. Style-hopping as only a small-town band can (and as more bands should do, before the band gets bigger and starts to be pigeonholed), they combine classically melodic indie-rock with the infectious enthusiasm more often found in bands who can barely tune a string, let alone string together a tune. Track 3 'Particle' is proof as something like a junior Jonny Greenwood joking with a funny Pixies riff. Songs well-crafted with a bit of dirt thrown on top - and a studio argument about a mullet - what more do you want for your money? www.mypetjunkie.com (About A Mullet is the new Hugh Grant film written by Nick Hornby)