Garageland ~ Do What You Want

Foodchain Records

It’s no news that CDs cost too much. What’s interesting is how bands and labels combat that unjustified reality. Case in point: Garageland. After winning popular and critical acclaim for their debut, Last Exit to Garageland, this peppy Auckland, New Zealand quartet chose to soar under the greed radar, pricing their engaging followup, the fittingly-titled Do What You Want, at a mere $6.99. Wired, aware types were able to download the album for under five bucks before the album was even released, and get bonus tracks to boot.

And what do you get in Garageland?: Mid-tempo, jangly, springy pop with tasteful bits of organ, telling tales of love, longing, loneliness and being lost. Written while touring, the baker’s dozen tracks on Do What You Want skip about with a sense of tainted innocence and one-eyed wonder; not a spot of pretense or posturing is to be found. Pure, sappy pop propels songs such as "Love Song" and "Kiss it All Goodbye," while a taut grey thread runs through tracks such as "You Will Never Cry Again." Vocalist Jeremy Eade can chirp it out like nursery rhyme or put his spleen into it, and he knows when to do what with his words. This is clean, accessible pop-rock, and at the price, you can afford to take someone else to Garageland with you. –Scott D. Lewis

 

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