According to
Miller
, bands like the
Dream Syndicate
and
Thin White Rope
caught his imagination around the time of this release's appearance. While things aren't as completely fried as those two bands, on
Pointed Accounts
,
Game Theory
do have a slightly moodier shade to play around with. Consider the contrast between winning melody and slightly fragile edge on
"Penny, Things Won't,"
not to mention
's reference to things like unstable pavements as metaphors. Generally, the six songs on
find
still in general thrall to its '60s-inspired, '80s-recorded
indie pop
vision -- not quite revivalist but avoiding mainstream temptations.
"Selfish Again"
makes for a catchy little rocker, slowly growing in steady intensity and adding a little bit of glazed
VU
/psych drone in the background, while the amiably quirky
"Life in July"
is pure herky-jerky
new wave
synth fun, a bubbling rush of fun that lives up to the title. ~ Ned Raggett