Vagabond's Music Trivia

Barenaked Ladies – Stunt

As with our Springbok Nude Girls, this Canadian band is all-male and has probably also been getting far too many hits to their website for the wrong pervy reasons.

While their five previous releases, since their formation in 1988, have established them as superstars on their Canadian home-turf, it was only their previous studio album, 1996's 'Born On A Pirate Ship', that finally generated some interest in the US markets. The single off that album, 'The Old Apartment', only cracked the US Top 40 a full year after it was released, thanks to a never-say-die attitude from their faithful record company (SA record companies, please take note!).

'Stunt' finds its way on to our shelves due mainly to the international success of its first single, 'One Week'. This unexceptional but catchy little pop song, with its rappy stream of lyrics and ska tune, is typical of the other compositions on the album. With all the band members contributing to the songwriting, the songs range across all the well-known pop styles without really excelling in any of them.

Steven Page's husky vocals and the band's bouncy sound strongly resemble the British band Squeeze (as on 'In The Car'), although their soft-rock touch, even when they are playing their "heavier" songs, is very similar to Crowded House.

While this album is choc-full of inventive pop - 'Alcohol', 'Light Up My Room' and 'When You Dream' - and stirring ballads like 'Call And Answer' and 'I'll Be That Girl' (further proof of their gender confusion), these "Stuntmen" need to take more risks if they are to build on their belated international success.

Stephen "Sugar" Segerman

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