The Beatifics "The Way We Never Were" - After 6 years they finally get a new album out. Mostly this is Chris Dorn with some other friends helping out on the tracks. This is straight up pop music. It's soft and sweet and pretty. Unfortunately it really isn't all that interesting. He's got a great mellow voice and a few songs really hit, but overall it just sounds tired. Songs are mostly slow and quiet. The instruments mix well together and everything sounds nice, but it all seems rather formulaic. I felt like I've heard most of these songs before only they were better the first time around.
My Picks: 1, 7, 9
Katie P. 7/17/03

1) Starts with midtempo strumming guitar. Very straightforward guitar pop music. Nice tambourine and pretty darn catchy.
2) Slower dragging midtempo. Very sweet and poppy. This is kind of boring.
3) Quiet guitar in a ¾ swing or waltz number. Nice keyboards on this. It makes it sound pretty and orchestrated.
4) Slower midtempo that has a very slight country twang in the guitar. Other than that it's sweet gentle pop. This song sounds way similar to a Gin Blossoms song too. Weird.
5) Heavier on bass with keyboards on top. Solid midtempo. Vocals sound sort of far away. Cute and nice catchy chorus.
6) Slow and quiet guitar and vocals. Keyboards are added, but it's still very calm and quiet.
7) Ooo, fuzzed out guitar. And handclaps! A bit of a garage-pop sound at a dragging midtempo. Nice!
8) Solid midtempo. Ah yes, once again some sweet and pretty pop music.
9) Ooo, cool breakbeat and bass to start it off. This kind of grooves. This is sort of a funky instrumental of track #8.
10) Quiet and soft. Just guitar and vocals. Then some keyboards (maybe strings) are added. Pretty sad.