RED TANDY EP
Album Review

By Megan Giddings

Why didn't my mother introduce me to Badfinger? Why don't I ever hear Badfinger on Oldies radio? And furthermore, why didn't my mother introduce me to the Yardbirds? Why didn't I really start loving these bands until I was 17 - in Badfinger's case, an unfortunate 19? C'mon Mom, why didn't you do that for me? (It should be known, I would also be attacking my father if he hadn't given me his copy of Bootsy? Player of the Year.) It's because of you that when I heard Red Tandy I thought, "Oooh, this sounds like the Waxwings," instead of automatically thinking, "ooooh Badfinger!" or "ooooh Yardbirds!" So thanks a lot, Mom.

The Mother Hips' latest release is all sweet psychedelic pop, drenched with smoky layers, that springtime Beatles croon, and rhythms that make me want to put on a large skirt and twirl around. It doesn't matter that the song "Red Tandy" is pretty inane when put to paper; in fact, while this song is on, I can't help but bob my head and smile over the layers of falsetto vocals, fairyland cymbals, and gorgeous oohs and ahhs. (Also, in the "Red Tandy" district, I actually prefer the longer, second version with its fake out ending.)

And then, they bring more to the plate with "Colonized": where the Hips stop prancing around with their tambourines and flowers and start showing us they're men. Well, sort of. No matter how tough and sludgy the Mother Hips start off, that love for psychedelia can't help poking through. Maybe if they had actually put the aforementioned tambourine down...or maybe if singer Tim Bluhm would just stop sounding so ethereal. But Red Tandy's retro flavorings are never too kitschy or overbearing; this is good music no matter what the genre. Honestly, go pick it up. I know EPs are just expensive teases, but this is worth it: once you hear this, you'll start marking the dates on your calendar for the Mother Hips' next full-length.