Fourth Of July - Fourth Of July On The Plains

Grade: B+
Download: Long Gone

Fourth Of July's label is Range Life Records, which is perfect in a few ways. For one thing, there's something rural about the band's music. Maybe it's that they're based on Lawrence, Kansas, but whatever it is, you think of country roads instead of city streets as you listen. Another perfect thing about their label name is that there's some shameless Pavement riffing going on here, and why not? People tend to get all upset when a band has clear inspirations, but if they've got good songs, who cares?

And Fourth Of July has good songs. The songwriter in the band is also its lead vocalist, Brendan Hangauer, and he's got a great sense of melody. Not all the tracks are gems, but the ones that work are lilting, upbeat numbers with a commitment to sounding pleasant. It's a really good summer album, with songs "Long Gone" and the Built To Spill-like "Purple Heart" as great ones to blast with windows down on the way to Dairy Queen or the Saints game. There's something to be said for a really solid pop band who only wants to give you a good time, and that's Fourth Of July's modus operandi.

There have been a lot of bands popping up in the past few years with that motive - locally I can think of The Hopefuls and Hockey Night - and I for one am glad to see giving a shit back in style. Here's to its renewed popularity, and here's to Fourth Of July.

(David Brusie)