...or stay tuned

people under the stairs

om records, 2003

Mood—Friendly and light.

Sample: "Roadbeaters"

Thoughts— There is more than one mention of "ZIP Disks" on this album, a reference that I feel will be lost on most people now. When I was in college ZIP disks, which held a whopping 100MB, were the best way to deal with our large file load. Back then that was a lot of storage space, necessary for architecture school. But technology advanced quickly beyond these disks, and now you can have a 2GB USB keychain drive for about the price of a single ZIP disk.

Likewise, I feel like Or Stay Tuned was a perfect album for a time, but that time quickly passed. People Under The Stairs have an "old-school" flavor... accessible lyrics, a calm, smooth presentation, and simple but engaging instrumentation. There's really nothing to dislike here, but no tracks stand out as songs that will pass the test of time. I don't feel like even the catchier tracks, such as "Yield" and "Plunken 'Em", have a lot of memorability.

"Take The Fruit", a short song about helpful recommendations for children, is just odd enough to hook you in and manages to be the highlight of the album. "Outrun" is a good final track, but it almost feels as if they're just warming up as the album concludes. Again, it's a good album but easily forgotten.

Recommended? Maybe.

Link—putsonline.co.uk/

Tracklist
1. Yield
2. Plunken 'Em
3. Roadbeaters
4. Fly Love Song
5. Church (interlude)
6. Drumbox
7. OST Remix
8. Yo
9. La Song (Sensitive Mix)
10. S.F. Knights Remix
11. Take The Fruit
12. Outrun