My cd review [ 2006-09-08, 4:39 p.m. ]

Yay!!!!!!!!!! I finished my cd review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn, I'm happy to have that out of the way. It always takes me some time to start thinking of what and how I want to say something. I listened to the cd, which is really an EP, about 10 times. Looked at the band's myspace page and made notes as I listened to the songs. I'm going to paste in the article here. I've already sent it to my editor at the 'zine.

Way back in 1993, the Posies released one of the best albums of the 1990�s, Frosting on the Beater. It was heavy with hook-laden melodies, luscious harmonies and bouncy guitar. Listening to it is like licking frosting off a beater. Sweet and smooth. I can only imagine that the guys in The Comfies left that cd in their player quite a bit over the years. While the Nashville band lists influences ranging from the Beatles to Elvis Costello to the Beach Boys, the overall one has to be the Posies.

Fronted by Benjamin Harper with Nathan Hansen (bass), Sam Smith (drummer) and Raf Cevallos (guitarist etc..), The Comfies have released their debut 7 track ep entitled Close to Me. As self-described players of dreamy pop rock, The Comfies know how to write melodies with hooks and play some nice feedback guitar. By the second time of listening to them, I was already singing along with the chorus of several songs.

The title song, Close to Me, is one of my favorites on the ep. With it�s oohh harmonies and repeating chorus of �If you never get close to me�, the song grabs you and is a good track to start the ep. That�s What She Gets alternates between ominous murmuring voices and feedback to bouncy pop rhythms ending with a tinkling piano. Medicine is probably the weakest track but still manages to bring a hook to the chorus. In My Room and Your Sunshine are strong tracks focusing on intimate vocals and feedback guitar. The ep ends with a short and simple song, Dear Miss Anderson, which is reminiscent of another of The Comfies� influences, Travis.

While the ep is derivative in a way, The Comfies do it in the best way possible. Taking the best of what they like (strong melodies and harmonies) and making it their own. The Comfies managed to bring a smile to my face every time I listened and made my foot tap to the rhythm. That is close to getting that last lick of icing from the spoon.

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