The Antiques Reviewed
The Antiques
Nicknames & Natives
(Banter)
Quiet down and let the sons of Santa Barbara be heard! They have visions of the past!
Comparing The Antiques with bands espoused as sonic relatives in their bio, namely The Kinks, The Band, The White Stripes, Pixies, and Dylan, is somewhat fruitless. The sound of eyes rolling can be heard coast to coast when such lofty names are invoked, though more accurately the band reflect country Byrds (“Prolonged Detour”), minor-chord/’60s Stonesieness on “Near Yorktown And At The X,” and, oddly enough, Brit new acousticals Alfie (“Down To No. County”). The end result is an album enjoyable at passes one and two, however fading ever so slightly upon further listen. Joey Barro’s vocals flaunt more attitude than soul — something that might be more acceptable in punk rock — and the lyrics he sings flirt with depth (“It’ll be felt here for years/Still nobody cares to care anymore”) but frequently sound cooler than they are. And in a nutshell, they reflect the problem with Nicknames & Natives.
— Steve Forstneger
Click here to download “Gunshy.”
