Album Reviews

- by Tom Dumarey

Named after the scale that measures the spiciness of chili peppers and other spicy foods, NYC’s Scoville Unit turn up the heat on their self-titled album as they bring back the jangly, fuzzed up days of the Lemonheads, Replacements, Guided By Voices and the likes.

With a mix of indie rock, power-pop, punk and big dollops of romantic longing, this band burns through a dozen songs in 40 minutes leaving a trail of lo-fi goodness, big hooks and solid riffage in their wake. Remember when Goo Goo Dolls started out as a punk band and then slowly morphed into something more refined by reining in and finetuning their energy? Before they jumped the shark? I feel like that’s kinda where Scoville Unit is at on their third album. But thankfully, without letting their ballads land in ‘Iris’ territory.

Opener ‘Song Without A Name’ sounds like pent-up energy that has finally found an outlet, ‘Back Of My Mind’ is pure melancholy with some Costello vibes that build up to one of the album’s best choruses. Elsewhere on the album they pull off more mellow moments like ‘Pieces’ and ‘Every Single Day’ almost as an afterthought while cuts such as ‘I’m Gone’ and ‘Stuck In’ show they haven’t let go of their punk roots.

Track listing:

1. Song Without A Name    
2. Back Of My Mind    
3. Pieces    
4. Broken Glass    
5. Gravity    
6. Different Name Same Place    
7. I'm Gone    
8. Every Single Day    
9. Stuck In    
10. Sidewalk    
11. Weight Of Misunderstanding    
12. Only You    
13. Beach Song