Search - Mooney Suzuki :: Electric Sweat

A Real Winner!

Todd Lucas | Southern Illinois, USA | 05/01/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"... Perhaps garage rock is continuing to make inroads but what makes it especially nice is that Electric Sweat is such a good disc and far better than many of the heavily hyped garage CD's of the day. I've owned it for less than a week and listened to it at least a half-dozen times, which certainly isn't the norm. It's easily my favorite disc of 2002 so far. ..., I like Electric Sweat better than People Get Ready. The songs are tighter and more consistent here. "In A Young Man's Mind" is as good a rocker as you're likely to hear..., I really enjoy "A Little Bit of Love", which may have the best hook on the entire disc. The 70's influences are undeniable but "Natural Fact", for example, sounds quite a bit like a Sean Bonniwell composition. The early Who also seems to figure into the mix. Yet, the Mooney Suzuki manage to whip all of this into a sound they make their own. They aren't your average garage band. In fact, calling these guys garage rockers seems to be selling them short. This is great rock and roll, period. Everything here, including the pair of instros, is compelling, with the exception of "The Broken Heart", which is too slow and almost twice as long as most of the rest of the songs on the disc. Luckily, it's towards the end and I reckon 9 for 10 is a pretty good batting average. A strong recommendation."

Not their best, but way better than the Strokes

daibhidh | Chicago, IL USA | 04/12/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is their latest album, and while it's not as good, track for track, as their EP and "People Get Ready", it still has some fantastic cuts on it, coyly split into "Side One" and "Side Two" on the CD.The title track opens nicely, with the shriek of feedback, before they take off. "In A Young Man's Mind" is a lot of fun ("It's a simple world/there's a little room for music and the rest is girls"), and "Oh Sweet Susanna" is a nice change of pace, with wailing guitars. Other tracks I really liked are "It's Not Easy", the instrumental jam session "It's Showtime Pt. II", and the rocking "I Woke Up This Mornin'", which has the stomp-stomp-stomp driving rhythm that makes them so much fun. All of these cuts are more than worth your time.Not so fond of the slow dance number, "The Broken Heart", and didn't like "A Little Bit of Love" (although Graham Tyler's guitarwork is incendiary), and "Natural Fact" (good retro sound, but overshadowed by the others) as much as the others. "Electrocuted Blues" is another instrumental, and Tyler's guitar is impressively fuzzy and wild, but I liked the "Showtime" jam better, lick for lick.You NEED to see these guys play live, to fully appreciate their work, because they absolutely rock the hell out of their material; I saw them play at the Empty Bottle in Chicago and they blew the roof off of the place; their stage presence is fantastic, their energy undeniable, and they are TIGHT, never missing a beat or a note while diving into the crowd and jumping all over the place.This CD adds some welcome material to their catalogue, and anybody who wants to enjoy serious R&B should get it."

The Kings of the Garage

James A. Marino | Chicago, IL United States | 01/04/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"How do these guys do it? Relentless rocking garage. Catchy tunes and great guitar riffs. Why are the Strokes, the Hives, and the White Stripes deemed the kings of the current Garage Rock scene? Why? Especially when it is evident that these Mooney boys along with the Greenhornes should be placed at the top of this pyramid (if there was such a pyramid). Some things in life will always remain a mystery. However, on the plus side, it means we can still see them play live in good small venues. Rock on!"