The Moles - On The Street (CD)

All Music Guide

The Velvet Underground, the Clean, and the Go-Betweens come together in Richard Davies' mysterious art pop group the Moles. On the Street is a collection of psychedelic chamber pop culled from the album Untune the Sky and double-sided 7" What's the New Mary Jane?, in addition to including previously unreleased tracks. During the early '90s, the Moles were lost amidst the angst and aggression of grunge, but this repackaged set could find the band a new audience among fans of Belle Sebastian and aficionados of the seminal, but underappreciated, Sarah Records indie sound (the Field Mice, Even As We Speak, Tramway, Saint Christopher). Like the Velvets, Davies' strength comes from his ability to take saccharine hooks and catchy melodies and turn them into the weirdest and moodiest dark-of-night pop tunes. Take, for example, the plodding, shimmering "Lonely Hearts Get What They Deserve," the damaged beyond recognition (but beautifully titled) interlude "Let's Hook Up and Get Some," or the b...uzzing Loveless feedback and noise of the otherwise charmingly narcoleptic "Wires." The bonus disc, aptly entitled Rare Weird, showcases some real gems, including an early Kinks-esque version of the infectious "Bury Me Happy," the gritty country-punk of "Flex" (think the Minutemen covering the Beach Boys) -- maybe the best, and at least the most strikingly original track on either CD -- and "We Need an Electric Guitar," reminiscent of none other than the amazingTelevision Personalities. Then there are some real oddities: the Joy Division-sounding "Surf's Up" and "Europe by Car" (Kraftwerk recast as a loose, '60s rock outfit). Rare and weird indeed, but well worth the trouble. - Charles Spano, All Music Guide Read more Less