The Richies - Forever & Today - 2004

The Richies are a fine little pop underground band from down under. A smooth mix of Teenage Fanclub's laid-back melodicism, Matthew Sweet's classic songwriting, and too many groups too mention's love of '60s pop, the band's Forever and Today should be a hit with fans of the bands just mentioned along with anyone who likes intelligent, melodic, and sweet guitar pop. If you like surprises you might be out of luck. If you want your pop delivered as predictably as the U.S. mail, then you are in luck. You also have to imagine that the mail has no bills in it, only postcards from loved ones and dividend checks. There was more sweat in that last line then there is on all of Forever and Today. Charley Davis delivers the lyrics in a gentle croon backed by the rest of the band's sweet harmonies and their smooth and simple mix of ringing guitars, tambourines, and Ringo-solid drums. There are no weak tracks, no standouts really either. Listening to the record is like hanging out with really mellow friends, just shooting the breeze on a summer night. So much of the current power pop revival scene is slavish to a fault and therefore barely worth listening to. For that reason, hearing a record that is derivative for sure but also imbued with a sense of the band's personality and charm can only be described a breath of fresh air. Forever and Today may not be the kind of record that you would go to extremes to hunt down, but if you run across it, it's certainly worth investigating. -AMG



The Richies - Forever & Today - 2004/rs
or
The Richies - Forever & Today - 2004/sb