MP3 REVIEW: Fruit Tones / Pink Teens “HAMLOVERS” split (Captured Cats Records)

Fruit Tones / Pink Teens “HAMLOVERS” split (Captured Cats Records)

            In total, “HAMLOVERS” is eleven songs, however if you are fortunate enough to listen to it on a cassette, as it is sold that way, you will hear the first six songs by Fruit Tones on Side A and then the last five songs by Pink Teens on Side B.   Should I have had this as a cassette, I probably would have just done a SBSR for each side/band, but alas, here we go with my trying to explain to you how each band sounds.

            Fruit Tones can sing, but some of their songs can also be instrumental.  They have a sound that can go from being very surf punk to bordering on Hunx.   High Pop can come out at times.  And the song “Fresh Bites” has a certain country twang to it.   “Coconut Shy” can also get funky like it’s on the Jackie Brown soundtrack.

            Pink Teens have a sound that mixes the Beatles with a sort of twisted twee.  They also can slow it down and get a quieter, instrumental tempo on a song like “Lemon”.

            My biggest concern with listening to this all the way through without changing sides on a cassette was not knowing where one band ended and the other began.  Fortunately, Fruit Tones ends their set on an instrumental and by the time the next song starts you can clearly tell that it is not them anymore and we have progressed into Pink Teens

            This is a fun split that I will most likely end up buying on cassette one day should it still be in stock with the stars align.