Hurray For Everything

Album review

Exuding the optimism expressed in their third album's title, Boston poppers Fuzzy bring a sweet and lingering combination of bright vocal harmonies and reluctantly grouchy instruments that sample a variety of sounds and tickle a number of fancies. The careening "Over the Edge" sounds like a collision between Green Day and The Powerpuff Girls, "Never Be Replaced" has Juliana Hatfield and Ratsy joining R.E.M., and the opening cranker "Band of Gold" sends Freda Payne's homonymous '60s hit back up the aisle. Though the would-be sad songs, such as the Cranberries-infused "Summer Is Gone" and Neil Young's "Losing End," are too cute and toe-tappingly tenacious to cross the line between melancholic loneliness and tragedy, there is feeling in these tunes. Fortunately, most of it is happy, with little riot grrl anger yet plenty of attitude. Mixing sunny vocals with some Keith Moon-like drum work and subtly stellar guitar shots, Fuzzy gives listeners a reason to cheer with this pared-down collection of a dozen ditties that make you fell all warm and...you know.

© Matthew Robinson /TiVo