Pink and basic, with a robot and a small bat.
The cover of Say Hi to Your Mom’s fourth album, “Impeccable Blahs,” says it all.
The robot represents the synthesized, simple beats featured in every song, and the bat stands for the album’s self-proclaimed vampire theme.
“‘Impeccable Blahs'” is a record about vampires. Not creepy, goth vampires but rather people just like you and me who happen to get their nourishment from drinking blood,” reads the inside of the CD cover.
The Brooklyn, N.Y. natives’ biggest feat is making indie-rock music without the pretentiousness normally associated with the genre. Their quirky lyrics help make the music laid-back and catchy.
And while lyrics such as, “I’ll give you eternal life/Well, not so much eternal life, but have you ever seen a good zombie movie?/Well, like that, but you’ll be smarter and you’ll stay 23,” may not seem inspirational, deep or passionate, they are fun and amusing. And let’s face it, sometimes all someone really wants from a good summer album is a little fun.
“These Fangs” opens the album with an upbeat tempo perfect for drumming along on the steering wheel. Lively, up-tempo styles are heard in several songs, including the fan favorite “Blah Blah Blah,” in which singer Eric Elbogen’s whispered threats of, “And I am gonna suck your blood,” make an interesting contrast to the tempo. Instead of confusing the listener, the contrast between the music and the vocals makes the song creative and innovative.
Not all the songs have the steady beats that cause unconscious head bobbing. “She Just Happens To Date The Prince Of Darkness” lacks the steady tempo of some of the other tracks. The lessened percussion presence, however, makes the minor chords more noticeable, lending a more intense and passionate feel.
The album does a good job of mixing upbeat tempos with slower, more dramatic songs, avoiding the repetitiveness of similar-sounding tracks. The synth and electronic piano give the album a lo-fi feel reminiscent of Bloc Party and The Postal Service.
Some of the songs become a little repetitive toward the end of the record. The second track, “Snowcones And Puppies,” alternates between soft-spoken lyrics and the long, drawn out single word “sleep.” And while the contrast is curious at first, the interest is lost by the time the four-and-a-half-minute song is over.
Though the album may be saturated with vampire references, the unusual, creative and low-key lyrics along with catchy tempos are what make this album perfect for listening to while driving around this spring. Just don’t get too caught up in the music while driving, because, as Say Hi warns in “She Just Happens To Date The Prince Of Darkness”: “They drove fast through everywhere except Ohio/Because the cops there tend to cause a big fuss … “
Erin Pompili can be reached at [email protected].
