I'm going to admit it right now: I get easily annoyed by female singers. Most modern female vocalists tend to go for over-the-top theatrics, where each song begins mournfully and then rises into gutwrenching, glass-shattering histrionics. And the songs that aren't emotional theatrics are usually - and even more embarassingly - sexual theatricality (see Pussycat Dolls). So, imagine my relief when I began my first listen of Sex, Fashion, and Money to hear the disarming voice of Eleni Mandell. Mandell doesn't sound like a stereotype; her voice is imperfectly sweet and endearing.
And while her partners in the Grabs aren't bringing anything entirely new into the world with their debut record, at least they're having a good time. The first three songs in particular rhythmically bounce and splash out through the speakers, and it's so much fun. Also fun is the title track, where unintelligible background noises compete with Mandell's back and forth vocals and yelps of "sex! sex! sex!" to make you think you're accidentally overhearing a conversation and not just listening to music. Or that moment in "Let's Say Goodbye Again" when the whole band seems to join in just to sing the phrase "cherry wine". While the later tracks don't have quite the same bounce as early highlights like "Inside Out (All Over)", there's still a subdued, adult kind of enjoyment to be found in them. This album would not sound out of place at whisper level, beneath the conversation of friends splitting a bottle of white wine.
Still, problems arise when one actually pays attention to the lyrics. "I Wanna Live" sounds mournful, but Mandell's lyrical dichotomies just don't do it for me; while they do capture the hypocrisy often found in young adults concerning drugs and cigarettes, there's not really enough poignance to match the melodramatic title. Another misstep is the mopey "Trail of Mystery," which after three listens makes me completely understand why the person to which the song is addressed didn't call. At times, these retro-flavored songs also sound too much like Holly Golightly and the Greenhornes' contribution to the Broken Flowers soundtrack, only on an off-day. This is not to say that the Grabs have made a mediocre record; it's mellow and pleasant and nice. But it isn't all that exciting. Sex, Fashion, and Money doesn't really live up to its hedonistic title, but if it were a boyfriend, you could certainly introduce it to your parents without a fuss.
Reviewed by Megan Giddings
This review is also posted on The Modern Pea Pod.
Editor's note - This has been syndicated to Advance.net, a place affiliated with about 10 newspapers around the country.
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