Camper Van Beethoven

Camper Van Beethoven, the longtime champ of college radio, has burst out of the indie
underground with a strong major-label debut that boasts better songs and a better sound
than ever before. Even if the pristine production, by Dennis Herring (Timbuk 3, Lords of
the New Church), spiffs things up a bit, the band still sounds like a house party at the United
Nations. Though suggestions of Greek music, country, fusion, reggae, heavy met... More >

Suddenly these postmodern postfolkie weirdos are transformed into, of all things, a rock band--sans chops. And unfortunately, chops are an issue: both the one-dimensional matter-of-factness of the vocal concept and the time-keeping world-beat-by-numbers of the rhythmic philosophy stick out of Dennis Herring's honest AOR production, which messes up the band's balance even though it leaves everything but the mix untouched. Beneath this disorienting surface the message continues its evolution toward postanomie, and it would be a kick to hear "Life Is Grand," say, on the radio. Not AOR, though--college radio, where the nay-sayers it's aimed at call the shots. (Grade: B+)