Maximo Park

"Girls Who Play Guitar"

It’s funny that in the midst of the post-punk-punk new-wave-or-whatever revival of a couple of years ago, we seemed to have forgotten that there were actually some good bands. The good one’s seemed to have survived by not only transcending the hype and the dance punk stigma, but growing from what seemed to be a short lived trend. I’m not sure if Maximo Park were ever really “one of those bands” though they seemed to have been caught up in the swirl. Either way, the band’s sophomore release Our Earthly Pleasures kicks off with "Girls Who Play Guitars", a song that seems to have evolved from the genre. In a way, singer Paul Smith makes my heart skip with how brilliantly he weaves the lyrics through the first minute of the song. His North Eastern English Brogue, reminiscent of Joe Strummer, thrusts out confessions and cool images (“In the gaps, inbetween words, Are the things that really intrigue me/It's the gasps, and the sighs, that say more about what's inside you”) in and out of what begins as a staccato beat. Then he rides the lyrics and melody on top of an explosion of ascending and descending power chords. That combined with an interesting bridge make for a fairly amazing, air tight three minute rock song. Maximo Park are a pretty straight ahead, steady, though deceivingly chopsy band. Some might not be convinced yet, but give "Girls Who Play Guitars" a good couple of listens and it’ll be hard not to have at least steady infatuation with the rest of the album.



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