According to the press release that accompanied this record, Pink and Black
(the Fat Wreck Chords subsiduary label) have been chasing The Flipsides ever
since their self-released five track debut EP. And to be honest it’s not that
difficult to see why. Vocalist/songwriter and genuine jack-of-all-trades,
Sabrina Stewart, has one of the sweetest vocal styles around, mixing hook-
infused, guitar driven pop-punk with some fantastic harmonies.
But that is not to say that The Flipsides are the greatest thing since sliced
bread, because unfortunately they are not. What they are though, is a good
little band that shows plenty of promise. ‘Clever One’ is a decent record,
which amongst the sprinkling of genuinely outstanding songs, is solidly
average. It all sounds a little samey – in a good way if that is possible –
but the sugary-sweet sound that the band convey can be a little too much for
one sitting.
However, in small doses, The Flipsides can be fantastic. Opener ‘The Best Of
Times’ is a fantastic effort, a pop-punk nugget that puts many bands to
shame. Sabrina’s vocals are fantastic, and the song, built around a familiar
power chord riff, will stick in your head for a long time after the track
finishes. ‘Two Weeks’ is a bit bland, but Sabrina’s vocals really make the
track stand out – so much so that you get the impression if the track was sung
by a man it would be immediately dismissed as being boring. Maybe I’m being
sexist, but the female vocals really add an edge to the record. It’s
different and interesting at the same time, proving that there probably aren’t
enough girls out there in the world of punk rock.
On the other hand, tracks like ‘Punk Underwood’ would be far better served
with some snarling male vocals. The opening “I walk down these streets…”
refrain would be best suited to someone like Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day
fame, but at least The Flipsides are brave enough to break from the norm. ‘So
Disgusted‘ is more uptempo, and without the guitar for the first 20 seconds,
the track benefits with just the bass and drums. Infact you almost feel
compelled to add in some extra handclaps to continue the beat the band
create. ‘I Like You’ feels like one of those 60s doo-wop tracks at the
beginning, where a female artist would sing about how she liked the guy next
door. But to break the mould, Sabrina leads everyone along the garden path by
announcing she doesn’t like the poor fella. A ‘Clever One’ I’d say…
Speaking of the title track, the opening lines to ‘Clever One’ are
embarrasingly straight out of a GCSE English class. “You have bad taste,
cause you think he’s cool, so you’ll get obsessed and he’ll make you drool,”
Sabrina sings without any passion at all, and like the lyrics, the song is
very average indeed. ‘Make It So’ is much better, as is ‘The Pitcher’, which
again uses Sabrina’s singing to maximum effect. That’s not to forget bassist
Mark Bradin and drummer Jim Lindsay, who help to create their sound. ‘Tough
Love’ slows the pace right down and comes across a little bit like the dull UK
band Travis, but with girl vocals, obviously. Yawn…
Good job that ‘Because I Can’ rocks enough to wake me up, with Sabrina once
again snarling her way through some catchy riffage. ’60s’, which is quite
appropriately named seeing as though the band are almost certainly influenced
by the decade, is another little gem, whilst closer ‘Look Back’ will have a
number of bands peering over their shoulders with concern at a band who
clearly can write 3 minute spikey pop gems with ease. ‘Clever One’ is a bit
of a mixed bag. There will certainly be a lot worse releases this year, and
with the ‘novelty’ of having female vocals, The Flipsides are an interesting
break from the norm. It’s just 12 tracks and less than 30 minutes long, but
don’t let that put you of. Because there are plenty of worse ways to spend 30
minutes than with sweet Sabrina.
Paul