Acute Albums (2)
What The Critics Say
While listening to the full-length debut by Acute, 2007's Arms Around a Stranger, it becomes obvious that the members of this Los Angeles outfit are not afraid to wear their influences on their sleeves -- the fuzzy pop hooks of Weezer ("You Want It? Take It! It's Yours!"), Cars-esque new wave ("The City"), pre-Document R.E.M. ("Saint"), cheery piano pop ("Trouble"), etc. But it's not a mere ripoff of these aforementioned bands/styles; the Acute chaps (including members of Poulain, Now It's Overhead, and Ozma) have thoroughly processed these influences through their own musical blender, with an emphasis on lush pop songcraft. With the advent of such media tools as the Internet and iTunes, a new band often needs a mere handful of memorable songs to build a good buzz. However, Acute go about penning memorable alt-pop the good old-fashioned way -- alt-pop that lasts the full duration of an entire album. With the majority of up-and-coming rock bands seeming to be primarily concerned with getting their look just right for photo shoots rather than penning an album's worth of memorable songs, Arms Around a Stranger shows that Acute are one of the few exceptions. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As a way of introduction, Los Angeles trio Acute offer up five Selections of their music for this, their debut EP, each presenting a very different facet of the band. The opener, "Follow You Home," is a vengeance tale wrapped in an adamant rhythm and furious fuzzed guitars and illustrates Acute's punky, new wave connections. It's bookended by its polar opposite, "You Want It? Take It! It's Yours!," a moody and majestic piece whose regal pace and heralding brass have all the pomp and ceremony of a coronation or, more aptly, a royal funeral, for this is a farewell song. "Saint" is less majestic than elegant, delicately laced with strings and a harpsichord-esque organ but with a southwestern tinge shading the lead guitar. "Guns" too is filled with picked guitar, but here it's twinned with an upbeat melody, insistent beats, and an almost dreamy atmosphere until the number kicks into punky overdrive. Incidentally, the weapons of its title are actually a metaphor for an equally lethal tongue. In a just-as-rocking but decidedly different vein comes "Take a Step," its infectious hook, blazing guitar work, and barrelling keyboards in an R&B mode make this number the obvious radio pick. Flawlessly delivered and beautifully produced, Selections' intriguing mix of styles, moods, arrangements and themes makes it a bit difficult to get a handle on the band's core sound, but it's sure to pique much interest in their upcoming full-length. ~ Jo-Ann Greene, All Music Guide
