When I first listened to this record I was immediately reminded of Dance Hall Crashers, not really in terms of the music, more in the vocal delivery. Then I looked inside the booklet to discover this all-girl quartet were managed by Elyse Rogers, who I believe is/was part of DHC. Maybe a coincidence, but for people still unfamiliar with The Halo Friendlies you'll at least get the idea of what they're about. I could also throw in comparisons to Sleater Kinney or The Donnas, but they'd not be particularly accurate as a whole, although there are hints of both bands in places. 'Get Real' was originally released on Tooth and Nail in 2002, but now Golf has picked it up over here and given it a re-release.
To be honest in short bursts I quite like this album. The production is polished and full, just like all good pop-punk records should be. The harmonies sit really, really well and there are plenty of catchy melodies, so in essence everything works pretty well. Sadly over the fullness of time there's just not enough here to make a lasting impression. The songs begin to mould into one another and then things go awry. But tracks like 'Over It' and 'Run Away' are buzzsaw pop-punk nuggets that deserve your attention.
If this was an EP, or around four songs were cut out, this would easily be a four-star record. But as it is, 'Get Real' is good but never great. There are elements, and some whole songs, that really do stand out and as songwriters it is evident that the band have what it takes to forge a career in what they do. Sadly the cynic in me sees them snaffled by a major and marketed as the next The Donnas, tarting them up in fashionable clothes and high heels in an attempt to market them at impressionable teenagers - but hopefully I'll be wide of the mark...
www.halofriendlies.com
Tooth and Nail/Golf
Paul
