I think every city in this country has it’s own great power-pop band. You know that band. They’re in their late 20s-early 30s. Literate, catchy, and loud. Kind of quirky but with no visible delusions (i.e. onstage get-ups, ironic mustaches,). Not exactly full of ennui but too honest to give the crowd “an act.”
Just thoughtful dudes with huge record collections playing cool, crunchy pop songs.
The Bigger Lovers were Philly’s version of this band between 1998 and 2006. Oh how I love them.
They made 3 fantastic studio albums between 2001 and 2004 (How I Learned to Stop Worrying, Honey in the Hive, and This Affair Never Happened…And Here Are Eleven Songs About It) that at their best, boasted some of the smartest, hookiest and most well-produced power pop of the past decade. Philly studio ace Brian McTear was at the helm of the latter two.
It seems like every pop band like them gets tagged with the same critical stamp of the Byrds, Big Star, the Beatles, etc. And don’t get me wrong – they have their fair share of that. What I always loved about them however, was their snot. They were just as reflective of Wreckless Eric and The Only Ones as they were Alex Chilton and Emmitt Rhodes.
Vocalists and songwriters Bret Tobias and Scott Jefferson both share that great nasal quality that seems to contradict yet work so well alongside sweet melodies, chiming guitars and big ol’ drums (Patrick Berkery is fantastic). No matter how pretty the melody, they’d always be winking at you a little. A touch of wiseassitude to cut the sugar. Take this great bit from “Half Richard’s” about a friend’s new baby:
I’m so happy for you I can barely speak.
The smile so becoming and the chin so weak
He’s an angel in disguise, but I see Richard in his eyes.
I’m so happy for you I can barely speak.
His ooing and his cooing so unbearably sweet.
He’s as sweet as rhubarb pie, but I see Richard in his eyes.
It’s such a shame that he’s half Richard’s.
I could write for pages about these records. Instead, I’ll just tell you how great they are and you’ll believe me. I’ll miss them forever. Visit http://www.myspace.com/thebiggerlovers
