I guess I'll just never get enough of that Pixies/Nirvana quiet-loud-quiet punk-pop sound. I know that sounds pathetic, trite and sad, but I don't care. There's something enticing about that moment when the singer -- quietly telling his story of irony, anger, heartbreak and betrayal, backed by only a bass, sparse guitar or kick drum -- suddenly explodes in a shard of screaming hate or love, drowned out by glistening electric guitar and throbbing percussion. That musical schizoid moment defined the early grunge years and left a portion of a generation wanting more after the flannel faded out. It's the kind of ear candy Knapsack delivers on just about every track of "This Conversation…" The trio of Blair Shehan, Colby Mancasola and Sergie Lookbkoff started playing their brand of power pop back in 1993 during study breaks at the University of California Davis. Though they've been compared to Sunny Day Real Estate, Seaweed and Samiam, there's more than a passing resemblance to the melodic, quieter tracks on the last Chavez CD. While tracks like "Cold Enough to Break" and "Cinema Stare" have the bouncy charm of 'Til Tuesday's or John Waite's best moments, most of the songs, such as "Hummingbird," "Balancing Act" and "Katherine The Grateful," stick with the classic light/dark/light formula. No, it's not particularly original or earthshaking, but it's fun, exhilarating, and a style of pop music that I've come to love, having grown up with Cobain and Black Francis on my CD player. There never really can be enough angst to go around in our rock 'n' roll world, especially considering its current state. "This Conversation…" isn't rock 'n' roll, it's an emotional exorcism for Shehan and an sonic thrillride for the rest of us.

-- Tim McMahan

(back to reviews home)

Copyright © 1998 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Rating: Yes