Freezepop Forever

Freezepop's debut record is '80s kitsch through and through — and what would you expect from a band who plays all of their music on a Yamaha QY70 synthesizer? While some may accuse this album — and more specifically, the lack of guitar, bass, and drums — of being a little flat, Forever is really half art project, half fun. These kids are in their early to mid-twenties, so they were part of the first generation to grow up with the original synth poppers (Human League, Erasure) as part of their lexicon. At the same time, they realize that those same acts were made fun of for the better part of the '90s and that college rock, as it was known in 2001, was not heavy on synthesizers except for those pumping out 240 beats per minute. So Forever, then, mixes a distinctly goofy indie pop sensibility (a lot like Bis) with those synthesizers. It means that Freezepop turns out songs about cloning your crush or having a crush on Tracey Gold, and those types of geeky '80s references are exactly what will appeal to the college crowd who hears this album. Supposedly the Other Sean T. Drinkwater — who is more or less the mastermind behind at least the sound of both Freezepop and Lifestyle — likes to play down his '80s connections for fear of looking like a novelty. Lord only knows why: Forever is evidence that if you've got it, flaunt it, baby.