Pure freshens Canadian sound

Jewel Gopwani

REVIEW
	Feverish Mammoth Pure

Some music lovers knew all along, but record companies just didn't get it. After Alanis Morissette, most fans thought twice about it. But Sarah convinced us all. And now U.S. labels are finally getting the idea: Canadian bands, even with their funny accents, are a great source for quality songs, many times outshining our own music makers.

One of these promising bands is Vancouver's Pure. In its latest release, "Feverish," Pure represents its native land fairly well.

Pure's primary strength on "Feverish" is its blend of fairly normal rock songs with wild electronic hooks. The first single off of the album, "Chocolate Bar," is virtually untamed. Layers of techno beats, distorted guitars, clever lyrics and short synthesized masterpieces make "Chocolate Bar" a successful experiment, revealing Pure's electronic-rock genius.

Not every track on "Feverish" is techno flavored. Pure masters a concept many bands can't even fathom: variety. Pure manages to take the tempo back to normal and even further back to "Hammock" mode, the track that made Pure's last album "Generation Six Pack" famous in Canada. On "Feverish," songs like "Trucks, Campers & Trees" and "My Surfboard and My Dog" are hanging out song. Describing the nature and the essence of doing nothing, Pure is an old pro at these borderline drone-rock songs , adding a few necessary hooks to keep fans awake.

Adding to the variety on the album, Pure explores a new world of weird, fun songs. Tracks like, "Sunshine and Happy Hour," "March of the Loonies" and "New Wave Cowboy," are if nothing else, odd. Just try to imagine twangy, synthesized rock, backed up by strong guitars and clever lyrics.

One unforgettable aspect of Pure is its vocals. Jordy Birch has a unique soothing, almost sultry voice, that is icing on the cake of every song, especially the title track, "Feverish,". Birch's deep voice, those playful lyrics and Todd Simko's slide guitars could melt hearts.

But Pure is not free from the vice that keeps many good albums from being great. Lulls in the middle or at the end of any record makes the album just a bunch of five-minute songs, rather than what it could be - an entity in and of itself. In Pure's case, about 10 out of the songs on Feverish are mesmerizing, impressive and addictive. But songs like "Palm Springs" and "Four Cups of Joe" are decent, and that's about it. These are songs that keep garage bands in garages and off of the stage.

But the mediocrity on this album is limited, because there are plenty more above-average songs to make an inconspicuous cover up. Pure also manages to give its fans more that expected, since the CD for your CD player is also a CD for your CD-ROM.

Providing photos and videos of the band, in addition to song lyrics and internet links, Pure is a band for the fans.

So, at your next visit to the record store, check out this talented, experimental outfit from across the border.

04-14-98