“Drive Me Home” got the Evinrudes signed, but, as shown by their big-league debut disc, the band is no one trick pony. Sure, “Drive Me Home” opens the band’s self-titled intro, but there’s lots of other material here to recommend that the band be given a spot in your personal music rotation. “Jimmy’s On Crack (And I Don’t Care)” is a rocking little slice of life, with more than a few precious observations on society’s ills; “Otis” name-checks the great Otis Redding but is really a brief glimpse at the mortality that haunts us all.
Opening with a nifty bit of rhythmic voiceplay by Cothran, “Dick and Jane” is a nonsensical and whimsical sixties-styled pop song that says little but is a lot of fun to listen to. “High Street and the Universe” is another observation of our culture while “Swagger” is a delicious piece of braggadocio, the song’s protagonist the baddest mofo on the block since Jim Croce’s “Leroy Brown.”
Guitarist Reed writes a fair tune, a little light on the instrumental side but penning lyrics chockful of humor, irony and wit and enough pop-culture references to jump-start a Trivial Pursuit tournament. Cothran’s aforementioned vocals have one setting – sultry – which is entirely appropriate for the material. Overall, The Evinrudes is a solid effort, with more character and personality than most you’ll hear these days. Give ‘em a little seasoning, a veteran producer to bring out the dynamics promised by Cothran’s voice and another batch of Reed’s clever songs and you’d have a real Top Forty contender. (Mercury Records)
Review originally published by Alt.Culture.Guide™, 1998
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