Though I might prefer the purer ‘60s garage approach of their earlier works, it’s pretty obvious that The Sick Rose have progressed towards a more contemporary, full blown “blastin’ pop sound”, as they label it themselves, that should apply to a much wider audience …
And who could handle the above better than Dom Mariani? Experiencing the same transition himself, from The Stems to DM3, Dom twiddles the knobs just the right way, getting out the best of the band.
Sure enough, there’s still plenty of the usual sixties influences to be heard, as in the fuzzed out romp of It’s Getting’ Bad or the mod-ernist Kinky Who-oks of I Give You Lies, as well as through the pure folk-rocking 12-string jangle of Cigarette Girl, and the occasional Farfisa, sneaking into some of the updated power-pop arrangements, as heard in Wait Until Next Summer and Barbara.
Besides the latter pair, it’s the numbers such as the title song or Can’t Change My Mind, that bring to mind the best of DM3’s hook-laden power-pop artistry, and just for the fun of it, there’s also some good time-ish stadium-rawkin’ by way of Faces or late’60s/early’70s Stones in Go Ask Your Mother and Because You’re Mine.
Speaking from personal experience, if you let it “blast out” loud enough from your car stereo, preferably with the rooftop rolled back, it’s sure to have a “sick-eningly” infectious effect.
[Released by Teen Sound 2006]
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