Now this is an odd one. Reubens Accomplice is basically the brainchild of Arizona natives Jeff Bufano and Chris Corak and this, their second full-length CD, is released on Western Tread Recordings, a label co-owned by Jimmy Eat World‘s Jim Adkins. Jim also produces this record and, I’m pretty sure, even sings on the album’s hidden track. This is the first time I’ve come across the band and I’d say they’re a kind of weird version of Jimmy Eat World crossed with The Format, playing alt-folk songs with their guitars plugged in. It’s a weird hybrid, certainly taking influence from early JEW without ever sounding too much like them. Maybe it’s just what’s in the Arizona water. Either way, it makes Reubens Accomplice a captivating band who have come up with an interesting record.
Scratch the surface and ‘The Bull, The Balloon and The Family’ is a wonderful pop record. After the lovelorn opening of ‘Big Apple, Small Heart’, the New Amsterdams-esque ‘Lost Sun’ and folky ‘Underneath The Golden Grain’ sound fantastic. The latter even has a little bit of The Weakerthans about it. Lovely. This record was produced by Jim Adkins and mixed by Chris Fudurich, who has twiddled knobs for the likes of Nada Surf and Finch, so there’s a lot of experience and know-how and this is reflected with an almost twee sound at times. This is reflected best in the thoroughly depresing ‘Leave The City‘, which sounds very down and dirty, perfectly reflecting the mood of the band.
‘The Bull, The Balloon and The Family’ is certainly something a bit different from the norm and fans of early Jimmy Eat World, or bands like The New Amsterdams, should probably check this out. It’s certainly not as instant or poppy as those two bands, but it has a certain charm and appeal that will hook you in and have you singing along for weeks to come. Mixing majestic pop songs with some thoroughly depressing moments, all caked in an odd and strange twist, Reubens Accomplice have accomplished (pun intended) something rather special.
www.reubensaccomplice.com
Western Tread Recordings
Paul