A Hundred Patterns

Bubblegum. Female vocals. I would tag this “intelligent bubblegum” but I’d rather just call this bubblegum and call that other crap “stupid bubblegum.” Gorgeous vocals by Gretchen DeVault. Guitar, keyboards, glockenspiel, tambourine, hand claps, sugar glaze harmonies. Sweet and childishly poetic like Chicklets (from Toronto). Best sweet pop since Adult Net. If this record doesn’t make you happy... that’s sad. First LP from this Grand Rapids, Michigan quartet. Check the photos in the insert -- geekiest-looking band since Pixies. Mid-tempo unless noted, and all songs end with a simple fade unless noted. All great but you can start with 1, 11 for uptempo; 4, 8, 10 for downtempo. No FCC’s.

==> 1. Hopeful “get out of this town” sweet pop number. “I’m gonna travel ’round the world. Gonna be a rock and roll girl.” Starts with guitar and tambourine. Fades, saying “Show the world what I got.”
2. “I wanna know where your feeling is at!” Starts with drums, then guitar and handclaps. Fades, saying “I wanna know.”
3. “I miss you. You’re so cute.” Starts with drums. Prominent keyboards. Fades, saying “Forever and a day.”
==> 4. Mid-slow, sad & sweet. “Another day and I’m missin’ you. You were the only one who could ever break through.” Starts with solo acoustic guitar. Fades.
5. Stalker love. Sweet & creepy. Starts with organ. Fades, saying “I know you feel the same way.”
6. Joleen sings -- making it lo-fi bittersweet instead of pure sugar. Starts with full band. Fades, saying “It sure is late.”
7. Happy, almost ludicrously perky song about being fucked up and sad. Starts with full band.
==> 8. Mid-slow. Sugary, lovely indiepop ballad. Very teenage lyrics (which we should all be able to relate to, or vomit to, or both). Doo-doo-doo-do’s in lush harmony. “I wonder what you dream of... is it you and me together holding hands on the beach?”
9. Perky bubblegum number. Starts with drums. About springtime (as in real springtime, not bay area springtime... you know, when the snow melts) and love.
==> 10. Mid-slow ballad with prominent glockenspiel. Introspective. About feeling ugly and feeling beautiful. “Maybe if I were pretty, I would be happy. Maybe if I were happy, pretty wouldn’t matter.” Fades.
==> 11. Bouncy bubblegum love song. “You’re just about my everything.”