Poole
Alaska Days (SpinART) (star) (star) (star) 1/2
If Poole, a combo from Burke, Va., dredged up any sweeter, boy-meets-girl-tries-to-impress-girl love songs, they would make Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory look like the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The sugary fluff of the 11 tracks of “Alaska Days” has all the trappings of dreamy pop music in the mold of Velocity Girl and any number of Tiger Beat heartthrobs. The guitar strumming often ventures into new directions in songs that brim with adolescent exuberance. “Alaska Days” spills over with giddy garage rock, with nary a rough edge. From the whimsical “Supermerica” to the bouncy “Mary Shakes Her Hair,” Poole’s songs embrace naive complacency. Careening guitar licks abound on “Car,” while “Snowcicle” languishes in a hallucinative stupor, a rare move for a go-go-go band.
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