The Crimea - Lottery Winners On Acid EP

When your job is to listen to and review music, it starts to take more and more to actually get your attention. Oh sure, you can hear something once and think it’s pretty good. But to hear something once, think it’s pretty good and then play it over and over and over, introduce your friends to it and drive 45 minutes by yourself to catch them opening for two other bands – now that’s pretty freakin impressive. And that’s what The Crimea did with their EP Lottery Winners On Acid; they got me hook, line and sinker. From the enveloping opening power guitar of “White Russian Galaxy” that gives way to Davey MacManus’ strangely tender vocals, you’re right there with these guys. There’s no easing into their sound because you’re plunged headlong into some of the best, often quirky, indie-power-pop you’ve heard in a long, long time. And with lines like the title track’s “If she go tripping / I go falling over,” what’s not to love? In all honesty, not everything is so effortlessly digested. For instance, I still don’t get why in the world “Baby Boom” has the line “I guess we just weren’t interested in getting drunk and trying to start a baby boom” other than for reasons of picking a title. But, since the song on the whole is incredible, I've decided just to tune that line out and enjoy the rest of it. But despite throwing out unexplainable lyrics, most of what The Crimea have to say is just completely smart. Take “Bombay Sapphire Coma” for example: “I was just a has been, gone there, done that, got the t-shirt.” Who is that clever?! And who can maintain it throughout five diverse tracks? And while I’m at it, I’ll just go ahead and talk about the last track, “Opposite Ends.” Almost tinkling keyboards and delicate guitar pluckings work with near-rap vocals that dissolve into a driving chorus that is pure tortured, straining rock. So yes, if you’ve been keeping track, I’ve run down something on each of the songs on the EP, and yes, I am gushing like a schoolgirl, but after hearing so much music – a lot of which has been quite good – isn’t it saying something to admit that I’m glowing from this? I’m telling you, The Crimea are something to behold. Fantastic vocals, brilliant guitar, perfectly executed and placed bass, keyboards and drums – The Crimea should be in your player…right now! [www.thecrimea.net]