No Hits 6.6.05

Heavy Lifting (mp3) - Ambulance Ltd

Too many pop songs—even the good ones—beat their catchiest parts to a lifeless pulp. They run with the hook-laden chorus one too many times, serve up that fourth snappy verse when you were sated at three. So it’s refreshing when a band uses its best ideas sparingly.

Such is the case with Heavy Lifting by Brooklyn-domiciled Ambulance Ltd, a song that starts with a nice strumming build-up only to kick into rocking full-band mode around the one-minute mark. Another minute later—just as the contagious melody has seared itself onto your hippocampus—it’s gone and the band is executing a long, relaxed wind down.

I wish I could say the rest of the self-titled album was this good. There are a few highlights—particularly when Ambulance is doing the fuzzed-out Ride/My Bloody Valentine thing. But too often it drones a la Velvet Underground (self-consciously so—the album includes a VU cover), which doesn’t particularly suit it. Stream the record for yourself at the band’s Web site.

Just cuz I'm in the mood and love em so, here's one of Ride's best cuts. (Now this is an album you should own.)

Seagull (mp3) - Ride