XXXaudio
Like Pumping Gas on Fire (2003)

Review by: Dustin Pangonis
Date: 11/1/03

I find mediocre music the hardest to write about. If an album's flat-out bad, the review practically writes itself. I'm a pretty critical guy by nature, and I can easily tear apart something I don't like. Point out the flaws, throw in a few vicious one-liners, and there's a review ready to be published. Alternately, a really spectacular set of songs lends itself to natural praise, and it's a joy to talk about why the person reading the review needs to run out and buy the record immediately.

But what if an album's just okay? Thus comes my problem with XXXaudio's Like Pumping Gas On Fire. I wouldn't go so far as to call any of the songs bad. And a few of them, particularly the third track, "Reptile", are quite enjoyable. What the album fails to do is steer me one way or the other, preferring instead to ride parallel to the "perfectly acceptable rock" line.

The basic elements of the band are fine. The band has two singer/guitarists, Denise Maupin and Brian Burnside, which allows some nice male/female intertwining. The vocals, Denise's in particular, go down smoothly, and the guitarwork is fine throughout. Playing on the stereo, the CD sounds nice enough, but there aren't any moments that cause the listener to sit up and take notice. A few of the track changes can easily slip by an inattentive ear, or even a slightly attentive one.

A lot of the problem comes from the album's tendency to plod onward with a set of mid-tempo songs that don't sound all that different from the next. When I saw the album's half-hour running time, I expected something more along the lines of a batch of high-energy, fast-paced rockers. A lot of these songs never leave the starting gate, which holds the album back because the band sounds best when they're doing faster, upbeat songs. Even songs with punchy choruses (although not nearly as explosive as they need to be) are hampered by the middling verses and lack of intensity.

I did mention highlights, however. Most notable is the afforementioned "Reptile", which is the clear winner with a catchy guitar hook and a strong upbeat vocal melody in the chorus. It also features neat vocal switch, alternating between female and male vocals for the first two verses before coming together for the final choruses. The only real complaint is that these two and a half minutes basically outshine the rest of the CD. Other strong tracks include "Static", which best manages to be a slower-paced song that keeps interest, and "Wake Up", which is the album's longest song (albeit only at four and a half minutes) and an appropriate closer, sporting a somewhat epic and climactic feel.

This is only the band's first full-length, and shows enough promise to not be a complete write-off. The members all have various experience in other bands, and have played with great bands like Pretty Girls Make Graves. Denise also played with Built to Spill during her stint playing bass with the Delusions (and in a strange coincidence I saw them open for Built to Spill about a week after getting this CD, with none other than BTS singer Doug Martsch himself playing bass).

It's hard to be too rough on the album. As I said, it sounds fine when it's on, and the ten tracks go by in thirty minutes, meaning the album doesn't really have enough time to drag. The better numbers indicate a much stronger album on the way. But while the music is enjoyed when coming out of your stereo, it doesn't demand that you go buy the album and put it there.