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'Film Molecules' begins pleasantly enough, with the sweetly effortless Fin and buoyant indie-pop of Oh Katrina. Face of 73, with its vaguely '80s euro-pop feel, is surprisingly infectious. Also worthy of note is That Girl, for its lyrics mainly about a girl and her record collection â?? "She knows the record was made long before she was born / But it speaks to her". Tender Trap is led by Amelia Fletcher (Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research) and the success of this record depends largely on positive reception of her voice. On the pop songs it is suitably light and playful, but the slower songs have a tendency to grate. It is on these songs, Love is Red/Green in particular, that the sparse production leaves something to be desired. There is an over-reliance on tinny drum sequencing, and the record's extended coda should probably have been scrapped.
'The New Patient' is album number two for Connecticut band The Butterflies of Love. Vocal duties (and surnames) are shared between Dan and Jeffrey Greene; the record also features Mark Mulcahy, who co-produced album number one, 'How to Know the Butterflies of Love'. Dan and Jeffery have two distinct vocal styles, one rich, deep and drawling, and the other more poppy and agile. As is the case with Tender Trap, the faster paced songs, such as Tour of Her Head, work best â?? however, in this case all the songs are multi-layered and three-dimensional. The slower, more diffuse compositions unfold soothingly enough, unhurried and lullaby-like, ready for all of those dark winter nights in waiting.

Allie Roxburgh
CWAS #11 - Autumn 2002

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