ink19.com
Fall 2001
An impressive offering of twenty-two songs that jump and sparkle in true indie fashion. Moving from Pavment-esque melodics to a strangeness in the dynamics that makes me think of early Beck at the same time as I'm thinking of Yo La Tengo. Male and female vocals sing alone and together, adding to the heartfelt quirkiness and emotional honesty of this album. There's a slight folksy feel to some of these songs, but all wrapped up in a love of pop - the rock, the hook, the catch, and you're caught by the pure innocence of these songs. It's all about the music, and there's a place that this music comes from. Perhaps bands like Pavement found it, and then moved on. Sad Like Crazy has found it as well, and it looks like they've set up camp. Hope they stay awhile.--Marcel Feldmar
Houston Press
Summer 2001
The big concern going in: How does Love Songs stack up to SLC's past studio stuff, not to mention its live performances? That worry dissipates, however, after the first five seconds of the raw, energetic "Kid in the Corner." It's a darn good opener to a completely endearing album.
Sure, there are some general stylistic reference points here (the Pixies, Modest Mouse and the Grifters, for three), but comparative references don't capture the essence of SLC's sound. One has to describe Love Songs on its own terms. This is a stubbornly intelligent, beautiful, somewhat sarcastic pop-rock CD, with a great sense of melody and an acute sense of when to rock out (as demonstrated on the nicely building "Lemme Go Home"). The band puts its own stamp on everything it plays, even a brilliantly different cover of the Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait" (which is almost unrecognizably jangly, but still great).
There's a quiet C&W influence here, abetted by the rough, cigarette-coated vocals of Trey Pool and Thane Matcek. Yang to this yin are the band's odd timing, its lyrics (just this side of nonsensical) and Mari Pool's angelic singing. The droney, careful indie-pop of "Nettle" and "Hallowed Haze" are showcased right alongside the disjointed "Twist" and the nearly perfect rock of "Clumsy Hands." But it never feels thrown together; the whole CD flows on its own energy. The album's lo-fi production (far removed from most of Ojet's other recent releases) serves the music well, giving it all a warm, friendly feel. There's a strong resemblance to All Transistor's Parts, Matcek's solo project (heck, "Trick Live" is a new version of a song from Parts, if memory serves), but where that disc, though good, seemed polished yet somehow half-finished, Love Songs is the opposite -- rough-edged yet more complete in feel.
So here's the short version: damn fine album by an incredible band. When the liner notes offer up SLC's address in case "you feel the album is too long," the only logical response is "yeah, right."
-Jeremy Hart
Splendid Ezine
Summer 2001
Attention pop pundits, clever cynics and ironically detached hipsters -- and for that matter, anyone out there who has ever thought, "If it's good enough for Janeane Garofalo, well then, it's good enough for me." I give you Sad Like Crazy!, which the aforementioned aging Gen. X icon declared to be "The greatest band name ever." If the mention of Ms. Garofalo conjures up an image of Ethan Hawke mouthing along to The Violent Femmes' "Add it Up" in some dingy grunge club, never fear; the saccharine pop-sounds of Love Songs to Death are more akin to Athens 1998 than Seattle 1991.
The band has a varied approach, taking on the established pop structures favored by The Lucksmiths while incorporating their own measure of classic Americana and guitar-based rock. The disc's twenty-two songs are firmly rooted in the lo-fi aesthetic; most were written by multiple songwriters and tracked mere minutes after they were created. While such a brash approach manifests itself in the album's overall sloppy nature, the songs remain drenched in airy melody and blissful co-ed vocals. At times the disc even feels like a conscious attempt to sound like a pop-o-rama compilation, with each song bringing a new band's unique perspective and non-stop energetic gusto to the mix. There may be some bad songs, but nothing here lacks heart.
While seventy minutes of pop may seem overwhelming on paper, it goes by quickly. The band tears through numbers at an upbeat pace, with slight vocal and instrumental variations throughout. Of course, with so many songs to choose from, listening is a hit or miss proposition, and judicious use of the "skip" keys (or careful pre-programming) becomes a necessity. For every undeniably infectious "Sweet To Me" or "Lynette," there's a desperate "Shake the Elders" or "Wooden Kimono" that we could easily have done without.
Basically, this is an above-average album that could have benefited from the services of a discerning editor. While the band says the disc should be digested in doses, I can't help but wonder what miracles a more concentrated effort might have wrought.
-John Wolfe
Dancing About Architecture
Summer 2001
One of my favorite records from 1998 was from a DC band called Smart Went Crazy who prompted split up, great name notwithstanding. When I recently received the debut from Sad Like Crazy from Ojet Records in Austin, TX, I gave them instant style points. At 22 songs and well over an hour in length, get this band a song editor, which they helpfully acknowledge in the liner notes. There are easily 12-14 strong songs here like "Twist" and "Shake the Elders" that would have made a stronger impact if some of the chaff had been cut away.
Recorded in a home studio and live to tape in front of dozens of handclaps, Love Songs to Death will appeal to anyone with an indie heart, lo-fi sensibilities and who may have heard of a band called Pavement. Musically, those influences abound. Delivery-wise, none more strikingly than on "Nettle" which SM may be singing on for all I know. They also sneak in a Replacements cover though that must be music in the van as I'd be hesitant to say I hear much of the wacky Minnesotans.
My advice, not that they're asking, is to mic the drums better and let Mari do more singing as I particularly liked her turns on "Lynette" and "Suitcase," my fave on the whole CD. I had fun reading the album title with the first word as either a verb or adjective. Maybe you will too. Extra points for referring to the state of undress as "nekkid."
Rating: 7 out of 10
-Tim Frommer