cd review: the daredevil christopher wright – in deference to a broken back (amble down)

the debut full-length by this wisconsin group abounds with giddy energy and an infectious whimsy, which is really saying something when you scan the track list for the cd: “hospital”, “we’re not friends”, “war stories”, “a conversation about cancer”. it’s subject matter usually handled by morose folk singers. but in the hands of these gents, they counteract the gloom with bubbly pop capped off with clattering percussion played as if by a hyperactive two-year-old. even though the band wears their influences a little too boldly on their sleeves throughout this album, it’s very hard not to get caught up in the infectious swirl of this album.