Zack: The Boo Radleys have one thing going for them
for sure: the greatest band name in the history of forever. No one is topping
that. Beyond that, they also now bare the distinction of being my favorite
shoegaze band, a distinction they earned mostly by just not being My Bloody
Valentine (we’ll get to them in due time, but seriously I do not like My Bloody
Valentine or 90% of the shoegaze music I’ve come across). Giant Steps was, in
my opinion, a pretty good album, but I didn’t think it went much beyond that.
Almost every song rests upon a foundation of light, jingling acoustic guitar.
Sometimes, this foundation is pierced by a powerful electric guitar. That’s
when The Boo Radleys hit their stride. Whenever that guitar is absent, Giant
Steps become too complacent. It becomes too shoegaze. It’s a fine line, but
that was the main difference between me vocally loathing this album and me
appreciating it. That, and that killer name.
Favorite Tracks: Leaves and Sand; Upon 9th and
Fairchild; Barney (…And Me)
Emily: I actually listened to this album about a week ago. I've been walking to my summer job in DC every day, so I have 20 minutes or so each way to get some music in. Well, except when it's raining, or I'm carrying coffee, or if I don't have a pocket, or if I walk with my roommate... Okay, there's a lot of times when I haven't been listening to music on my walks, and that explains why it took me about 3 days to actually finish listening to Giant Steps. It's a long album, for one, and various walk interruptions just got in the way. And it wasn't like I was clamoring to keep listening to it. I kinda just didn't get the appeal of this album. It felt like it was supposed to be a concept album, but the concept just didn't come through. The best moments were those that borrowed more from rock and pop, and steered away from the kinda boring shoegaze sound. Here's hoping, though, that my next few walking soundtracks are a bit more interesting than the multiple days I spent with the Boo Radleys.
Favorite Tracks: If You Want It, Take It; Lazarus; Butterfly McQueen
