Comments for Connells, The, Weird Food and Devastation

First off: I loved "Ring." Great album, great hooks...well, hey, it''s the Connells. At the same time, I was kinda hoping that they''d try something a bit different, perhaps a bit edgier, the next time around. I wasn''t disappointed. "WF&D" cranks up the guitars a bit more, and while the more cynical among us might suggest that they''re trying to cash in on a general trend, I think the added rawness does wonders for their sound. Other than that, the most notable change here concerns the number of songwriters besides Mike Connell who have made contributions. And you know what? It works, much to my surprise as someone who''s generally been guilty of programming out the George Huntley tracks on the earlier discs. Doug Macmillan provides the irresistable single "Fifth Fret," and Peele Wimberly makes a promising debut with "Any." Not every song here works, the most glaring example being Huntley''s "Let It Go," which sounds more suited to some generic bar band than to the Connells. But the hits here far outnumber the misses. No surprise there.