Chow Eternal Lopez 12″
This is a bouncy, garage-flavored, danceable rock album from Bologna, Italy with a workmanlike approach to songwriting and performance. There’s something a little stiff here at first, a lack of flexibility and hooks that leaves me a bit cold even at its most anthemic. My ears do perk up, however, as the band starts to resemble HÜSKER DÜ at the midpoint of the record. While this outing might be frontloaded with weaker material, it starts to feel more lived-in and frayed, slowly revealing a band that is confident and does have an ear for melody. I’m a sucker for a band that mines the ’80s boom of Midwest college rock for ideas and presents them in a contemporary landscape. On a track like “Remember the Valentines,” you can hear a distinct John Reis influence both in the guitar and vocals, and I’ll always go to bat for that. I’m not as sold on the dreamier, spaced-out “Calling on the Altar Boys,” and think overall this 12” is a mixed bag, but there are high bright points to be sure.