SPLENDIDZINE, 5/30/2003 How's this for an online personal ad: "An album that leads off with one timeless crank-up-the-stereo, roll-down-the-window pop tune is sexy; an album that leads off with two of 'em is sexier." The sexy album in question is the debut and brainchild of veteran Los Angeles journalist and songwriter Neal Weiss -- and yes, the first two tracks really are that great. In "Let Go Of The Wheel", bubblegum, a little David Bowie swagger, some faux mariachi horns and whoo-hoos lifted from Wilco's "I'm The Man Who Loves You," as well as new wave cool a la the Cars, all coalesce in a groovy head-bobbing package. And that song is one-upped by "Like California", a summery, tightly arranged anthem that's all chiming, ringing guitars and blissful, irresistible "aaahhhs." Lest you think Weiss has already blown his creative wad, the remainder of Maybe The Brakes Will Fail is almost (if not completely) as fulfilling. Working with co-producer/multi-instrumentalist Seth Rothschild and a revolving cast of musicians, he has an obvious knack for crafting unpretentious slacker power-pop and a matching voice that faintly recalls cult singer Richard X. Heyman. He's equally fond of vaguely countryish campfire sing-alongs and sloppy backwards guitar solos, not to mention a specifically Angeleno point-of-view; even when Weiss strays to the Other Coast in "Manhattan, Manhattan," he sounds most starry-eyed when singing about the sparkling lights above LAX. As you may have guessed from the title, cars and driving populate many of Weiss's scenarios, from the literal references of "Let Go Of the Wheel" and "Ford Fairlane" to auto-centric metaphors in "Crash Landing" and "Sandy Koufax." In the latter, he sings, "You're my fixer-upper / I'm your fender bender" before likening himself and his lover to, respectively, Koufax and, um, Emmylou Harris. Elsewhere, he sneaks in an infectious, if not entirely serious paean to "Codeine" ("Holding hands at the prescription counter / I can feel Elvis, if you know what I mean") and "99 Hail Marys," a handclap-heavy drinking song in which you won't be certain whether all he wants is just one more prayer or one more drink. Smart, catchy, a little acerbic and effortlessly hummable, this is all-around an impressive debut for Weiss. The best moments suggest that he's capable of even greater things. Chris Kriofske |