Rich Creamy Paint

Rich Creamy Paint is the brainchild of the multi-talented Rich Painter, who plays all of the instruments himself on his eponymous first record. Tracks like "You Make Me Laugh" and "High School" are pleasant pop ditties in the style of Matthew Sweet or the Blake Babies. Although much of the album is very similar, making it hard to differentiate one song from another at times, the effort is surprisingly solid for a first time effort. The bright studio sheen, courtesy of John Mark Painter, makes these tracks go down quite nicely. This is optimistic, happy music for teenagers, a genre that has not been explored by a rock band in some time. But unlike Hanson, these songs don't need goofy lyrics to speak to teenagers on their own level. Fans of good pop music, as well as younger listeners looking for an optimistic soundtrack to their teen years, should find this album. They will not be disappointed.