Gigolo Aunts Albums (4)
'Pacific Ocean Blues'
Release Date 4/8/2002
Tracks 12
Label Bitter Sweet
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The last two Gigolo Aunts albums were each '90s power pop classics but sat at extreme opposite ends of the pop spectrum. Flippin' Out, with its unruly solos, closely resembled hard rock and grunge, while the adult contemporary trappings of Minor Chords and Major Themes bore more of a resemblance to Fleetwood Mac than Big Star. Fans were often divided, then, when discussing which Gigolo Aunts was better: the rock band or the pop band, and since there was so little middle ground in the two releases it was easy to pick favorites. But after another label shuffle and a three-year absence, the (initially) import-only Pacific Ocean Blues is the closest thing to a "definitive" album that the Gigolo Aunts have ever released. The smooth production values of the last album still reign here, but the band doesn't hesitate to rock out a lot more, which produces some of the band's most memorable material. Specifically, "Let Go!" is easily the most infectious and immediate song in the Gigolo Aunts' cannon -- while it runs for just over five minutes, the song packs in two fantastic, flashy guitar solos and a killer horn-inflected chorus. And on the more "adult" side, "Even Though (The One Before the Last)" tops nearly all of the mid-tempo material on the last album. This is still not the album to start with -- Flippin' Out is really a power pop classic of its time and is where any beginner should look -- but anyone paying attention to the scattershot career of this formerly Boston-based band will find that Pacific Ocean Blues, by tying up the band's stylistic loose ends, is possibly the Gigolo Aunts' most consistent listen. ~ Jason Damas, All Music Guide
'Minor Chords and Major Themes'
Release Date 2/9/1999
Tracks 13
Label E Pluribus Unum
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Five years after their excellent album Flippin' Out, Gigolo Aunts returned with a new album for a new label: E Pluribus Unum, founded by Adam Duritz of Counting Crows. Unfortunately, Minor Chords and Major Themes is a bit of a letdown for fans who had waited years for a follow-up to one of the decade's best indie-pop albums. Although the absence of former lead guitarist Phil Hurley is a strong candidate if you're pointing fingers, the fact is that in the previous few years alternative power-pop had come a long way and raised the bar significantly. The album kicks off with an irresistible single ("C'Mon C'Mon"), but nothing else on the album comes close to matching it, including "The Big Lie" (with vocals by Duritz and Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne) and "You'd Better Get Yourself Together Baby" (originally featured on an episode of the WB network's alterna-teen series Felicity). ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This Boston foursome have a varied approach to power-pop; lead guitarist Phil Hurley appears to have mastered hard rock (the catchy "Bloom"), moving ballads (the title track), and pop songs ("Mrs. Washington," a close parody of "Mrs. Robinson") with an ease that gives this album its consistency. Dave Gibbs' sugar-sweet vocals and backing harmonization are the perfect accompaniment. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
