On
Hi, Everything's Great,
Limbeck's California power pop is touched with a country-rock twang, which gives it the propulsive vibe of
Lucero,
Centro-Matic, and
the Weakerthans without entirely measuring up to the output of those groups. Still, the jangle of "Honk and Wave" and "Silver Things" makes for emotional and catchy tunes that, if a bit even, prove that the band is really quite idiosyncratic. Now, "Julia" is a song that goes above and beyond by mixing the sound of
Son Volt with the feel-good pop of
Phantom Planet -- it's a true classic. Then there's "In Ohio on Some Steps," a sleepy, golden acoustic number with a great '60s sound that is one of the best country-folk tunes of the year. And if the album on a whole isn't quite as good as its best songs, it does show that
Limbeck is a band in flux, and they're traveling in a great direction. ~ Charles Spano