Snappy Little Numbers

Something tells me my mother-in-law is
real nervous about this review running today. You see, she’s
the one responsible for giving me a copy of
Snappy Little Numbers, a five-song EP from Chicago-based
Gelheads – apparently one of the members is the son of her boss.
Something tells me that she’s worried about updatng her resume in
case I baste this disc like a Thanksgiving turkey.

Relax, Terri, I’m not gonna put your job in jeopardy. Fact is,
the trio – vocalist/guitarist Frankie D’Angelo, bassist Tim
McDonald and drummer Lydon – bring forth a very enjoyable power-pop
not terribly different from the late, lamented Material Issue in
ways. While they’re still very much a young band (having been
together just over a year), there is a surprising maturity to
Gelheads’s sound, suggesting that this is just a warning shot
promising even greater things to come.

That’s not to say that things don’t get off the ground smoothly;
while “Words Go By” proves itself to be a song worthy of your time
and attention, it sometimes feels like it takes a little too long
to build up momentum. What’s interesting about Gelheads, though, is
that the longer the disc goes on, the better it gets, from the
buzz-creating track “Deer In Headlights” (which has gotten some
play on Chicago’s WKQX-FM) to the under-two-minute
punch-in-the-ribs “Misdirected”. If the latter track hadn’t been so
short, I’d have pushed for this one to be released as a single;
it’s got all the angst of a Ramones song wrapped up in a neat,
poppy shell that nearly anyone can enjoy.

“Schizo Love Song” slows things down a little bit, opening with
an acoustic guitar line which eventually builds into a pleasant pop
chorus. It turns out to be an interesting way to end the disc, and
an appropriate one.

All of this said, I must level but two complaints about
Snappy Little Numbers. (Bet you long-time readers know
what’s coming next.) First, while it’s an enjoyable disc, at five
songs and under 20 minutes in length, it’s far too short,
especially when the listener finds themselves getting sucked in
further with each track. Second, Gelheads might want to consider
adding a second guitarist/vocalist, just to flesh out the group’s
sound. This is by no means a criticism of D’Angelo’s skills;
rather, there are one or two moments on this disc where the sound
gets a tad thin, and having the extra muscle of guitar crunch or
another harmony vocal might just be the final ingredient needed to
make the end result work the best.

For a group which has been together for such a short time,
Gelheads have a tight sound which would blow away many bands who
have been together longer yet haven’t found that magical spark.
Snappy Little Numbers proves the songwriting and musical
abilities are there in abundance – now all they need is a few lucky
breaks to head their way. If even one of these happens, chances are
Gelheads won’t remain a Chicago secret for long.

For more information or to hear selected tracks,
please visit Gelheads’s
Web site.