On A Wire

Rolling Stone (6/20/02, p.84) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Straining vocals, racing tempos and walls of distortion give way to softer singing, spacious guitars and prominent keyboards....subtle and tender..." Spin (11/02, p.125) - 7 out of 10 - "...Catchy, finger-snappin' strolls through a landscape etched with disappointment and hope..." Entertainment Weekly (5/31/02, p.108) - "...This is the group at their best..." - Rating: B+ Q (11/02, p.100) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...An ideal way to remember the summer just gone..." Uncut (8/02, p.104) - 4 out of 5 - "...In truth, they're just a great heart-on-sleeve rock band." Alternative Press (8/02, p.73) - 7 out of 10 - "...From the doo-wopping vocal harmonies to the painstakingly layered guitars and frolicking bass lines, it's clear the Kids have progressed beyond power chords and whiny yelps..." Magnet (8-9/02, p.73) - "...A tremendous leap forward..." CMJ (6/3/02, p.13) - "...Finds the Kids at their most mature, musically speaking..." NME (Magazine) (5/25/02, p.32) - 7 out of 10 - "...The mature record...it eschews the intimate confessionals of old for a less frantic sound more akin to old indie lags The Replacements....A brave, potentially suicidal gesture: all hail the grown-up kids."

過去に〈エモ〉と括られたバンドが、ひとまわりも、それ以上にもスケールが大きくなったサウンドを展開している。プロミス・リングもそうだったが、このゲット・アップ・キッズも自然な流れのなかで表現力が豊かになった。今作で感じさせる哀愁感とその隙間から垣間見せるポップさは、彼らにしか出せない魅力かも。REMを手掛けたスコット・リットをプロデューサーに迎えた結果、静かなる名曲に溢れた逸品に。
bounce (C)田中 拓宏