The Cowsills
GLOBAL
(Robin Records)
Suppose that a quintessential '60s pop group had been jettisoned into the '90s,
Austin Powers-style. That's pretty much the story here: These Cowsills are four of the
same Newport-rooted siblings who did the bubblegum hits and the milk commercials in the
late '60s.
In recent years they've made a serious stab at new material, and these tracks
were cut in 1992 before sister Susan joined the Continental Drifters full-time -- legend
has it that two major labels were prepared to release it before they found out who the
band was. Too bad, because this is a model power-pop album; warm enough to charm and tough
enough to resonate; steering clear of both camp and nostalgia (a couple of their old song
titles get worked into the lyrics, an in-joke for '60s diehards). In terms of style, think
of Fleetwood Mac with stronger British Invasion leanings, or a secret session between the
Figgs and Fuzzy.
Susan's vocals are the immediate grabber - she's got the same kind of
countryish purity that Linda Ronstadt had toward the start of her career - but the album
hinges equally on the four-part harmonies and Bob Cowsill's songwriting. Bob's carried his
AM-radio sensibilities from the '60s, and these tunes represent a longstanding quest for
the perfect hook: "Rescue" and "What I Believe" are new songs that
sound like long-lost 1965 charttoppers, even if the crisp guitar sound is more
contemporary.
What's also endured about the old Cowsills is a noble kind of naivete: They
still make you believe that love and hooks can save the world - or at least provide three
minutes of emotional rescue.
(Available from www.robinrecords.com
).
© 1998 Brett Milano and Boston Phoenix |
