Minty Fresh
2000
Buildings And Grounds
About This Album
Papas Fritas' third album, Buildings and Grounds, opens as gently as a breeze, as "Girl" floats along on lazily picked acoustic guitars, cooed vocals, and an arrangement reminiscent of swinging London -- not of the mid-'90s, but of the mid-'60s. It's as clear a signal as possible that things are different now in the Papas Fritas camp. Although this lighter touch wasn't completely absent on their previous record, they have toned down the straight-ahead, big indie-pop hooks which fueled their first album. It may be a little startling at first, particularly for true fans of the band's earlier sparer sound, but Buildings and Grounds is a stronger, more cohesive record than their debut. That's not to say it's perfect. With this new direction, Papas Fritas occasionally consciously recalls classic pop that's more sophisticated than their own music, and while the results are pleasant, they're not always favorable. Papas Fritas just isn't a band who crafts their songs with the precision of Bacharach or layers their productions like Stephen Street did with Blur. That's OK, though, since they work as joyous bursts of pop. They are a band of simple pleasures, which means they still sound the best when the music is peppier, as in the infectious "What Am I Supposed to Do?" and "Vertical Live.
Track List (try tracks 3,5,7 and 8)

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