READYMADE
BREAKUP – Alive On The Vine (readymadebreakup.com)
No, it’s not a live album, so no, I
can’t explain the title. This is RMBU’s
second full-length, the first since adding
guitarist Jim Fitzgerald into the mix, which
seems to have freed up lead singer/guitarist
Paul Rosevear to play more keyboards (which
he does very well). Alive… is a playful
album that finds the band stretching beyond
its power-pop roots, with Paul McCartney as
a dominant influence. Lead singer/guitarist/keyboarist
Paul Rosevear seems to be channeling Sir Paul’s
throaty roar on “Honey You May Be Right,”
a bluesy growler with stinging guitar; “Quiet”
is the most Beatlesque track the band’s
ever recorded, and “See You Sad”
kicks off with a riff that sounds like it
was copped from Wings’ “Band On
The Run.” Rosevear – probably
the most traditionally romantic singer/songwriter
in the Jersey indie scene – is really
stretching here, constantly reaching for notes
at the edge of his range or, on some tracks,
soaring into a soulful falsetto. G.E.’s
subtly melodic basslines and Spicy O’Neill’s
hard-hitting drums keep things rocking, even
when Rosevear’s leading the band through
bubbly ballads or gossamer-light power-pop.
The album ends with the garage stomp of “Ugly,”
my personal favorite here. Chalk up another
winner for RMBU, skirting the edge of shmaltz
to deliver the goods. – Jim Testa
CD Reviews 
