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Mink Lungs | The Better Button (Arena Rock/Rykodisc)
All of the members of this quartet from Brooklyn share singing and songwriting duties, which makes for a diverse listening experience. Blending indie-rock, punk, psychedelia and general weirdness, Mink Lungs could be said to bear rather more than a passing resemblance to The Flaming Lips. Opener I Sell Love is a gloriously fuzzy pop offering, and is followed by the equally spirited Silent Sex. Watch Yourself reveals their gentler side and Think of Me sounds like a lost treasure of the '60s. However, quality deteriorates somewhat as the album progresses, despite some redeeming moments. Perhaps fifteen tracks of this is a little test too far for the old attention span, although the variety of styles is refreshing. And, of course, there is the obligatory 'answering machine sample' included as a bonus at the end of Watch Yourself. People are scary.

Allie Roxburgh
CWAS #11 - Autumn 2002

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