The follow up to
Sylvain Sylvain's first album,
Syl Sylvain and the Teardrops, is a disappointment. Sylvain's penchant for 1950s rock is less in evidence -- who knows where the fun went, but it ain't to be found here. Since fun is Sylvain's stock in trade, this is a problem. The Teardrops are a great band (especially the beautiful and sexy drummer Rosie Rex, who has an absolutely irrepressible stage presence), but somehow something was lost between the band's live show and the making of this record. A perfect example would be the album's closer, "No Dancin'." At the band's concerts this was the standout number of the set. Picture a Peppermint Lounge full of crazy people -- every time Sylvain would sing "I'm not going dancin'," the crowd would joyously sing along, "Noooo dancin'." It was magic. Amazingly, the song is a huge disappointment on the record. The tracks on this album are generally pretty weak and unmemorable, and just not up to Sylvain's standard. Where as his first LP has nary a bad track, it's hard to find a good one on this, his second. It would be a while until he made another album after this, and his '90s comeback has been strong, but this one is to be avoided. ~ Geoff Ginsberg